NT's Payne Park awarded National Park Service grant

Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Sep. 25—North Tonawanda's Payne Park was the lone New York state greenspace to receive a portion of $255 million grants from the National Park Service.

Payne Park is set to receive $4,084,000 in matching grant funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program. In total, $254.68 million is being invested into 54 projects in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks.

Providing safe outdoor spaces for communities that are park-deprived is one of six areas of focus of the program. It also helps advance the Justice40 Initiative which aims to have 40 percent of the benefits of federal funding flow to disadvantaged communities.

"Everyone deserves to experience the restorative power of nature, but increasing access to public outdoor spaces has not always received the investment and drive needed to make an impact. Supporting the communities that benefit from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program has been a top priority for our Administration, and a critical step to bringing more green spaces to urban and disadvantaged communities" said Secretary Deb Haaland. "Today, this program makes history with the largest investment since its inception."

"The enthusiasm for this program is wonderful, with the highest number of applications we've ever seen," said Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz. "After traveling across the United States to increase awareness of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program, I'm thrilled to see so many cities receive grants for the first time."

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, established in 2014, is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program that aids disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation. The program provides grants for community-sponsored park projects where the population is greater than 30,000 residents. Managed by the National Park Service and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the program provides matching grants up to 50% of total project costs.