The LWCF program provides matching grants to States and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities. The program is intended to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of high quality recreation areas and facilities and to stimulate non-federal investments in the protection and maintenance of recreation resources across the United States.
	LWCF Celebrates 40 Years! On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act in a ceremony at the White House. Present at the ceremony were numerous Congressional supporters and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall.
	Fiscal Year 2005 (Oct. 1, 2004 - Sept. 30, 2005) begins with the Department of the Interior operating on a continuing resolution until a 2005 Interior and Related Agencies appropriations bill passes. The Administration requested $94 million which has been approved by the Senate with a House recommendation of $92 million. Final budget decisions are anticipated when Congress re-convenes after the election. If these proposed numbers hold, States can anticipate a 2005 apportionment approximating what was received for 2004. In February 2004, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released its results and recommendations resulting from a performance assessment of the LWCF State Assistance Program. The results of that assessment appear at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/pma/interior.pdf. Since the release of this assessment, a team of NPS and State LWCF staff have been working on implementation of the OMB recommendations, including development of national and performance goals and measures. Summary of the workgroup's recommendations.