Culver City Parks Task 8.1 Final Plan - Flipbook - Page 226
Federal Funding Opportunities
Federal funding opportunities are likely to vary
over time as administrations change. The following
list represents a snapshot in time, and additional
funding at the federal level should be tracked over
the course of the Parks Plan over the next 10-15
years.
Reconnecting Communities Grants
The United States Department of Transportation
(USDOT) is making funding available to communities
that have experienced harm due to the constriction
of transportation corridors.70 An example of this in
Culver City would be the neighborhoods that were
impacted by the construction of I-405 on the west
side of the city. Parks and connective corridors in
this area of the city may be eligible for funding
through this program which is administered
through a competitive grants program.
Invasive and Noxious Plant Management
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management funds various
projects annually to support improved ecological
health and curb the expansion of noxious plant
species across public lands. This includes projects
that involve developing approaches to eradication
as well as implementation of strategies.71
WaterSMART: Environmental Water Resources
Projects
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation offers several
funding opportunities under the WaterSMART
initiative. This includes the Environmental
Water Resources Projects program which
prioritizes funding for projects that include water
conservation and efficiency elements which
result in quantifiable and sustained water savings
and benefit ecological values or watershed health;
water management or infrastructure improvements
to benefit ecological values or watershed health;
and watershed restoration projects benefiting
ecological values or watershed health that have
a nexus to water resources or water resources
management.72
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town
The NEA grants program supports arts and culture
based projects that center communities and equity.
226 IMPLEMENTATION // PRIORITIZATION, COSTS, AND FUNDING
Local governments are eligible to apply and may
request amounts up to $150,000 in matching funds
for projects.723
National Parks Service Outdoor Recreation
Legacy Partnership (ORLP)
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP)
program provides matching grants to cities for park
projects in underserved communities. These include
those with a population of 30,000 or more, and
those that have low access to parks and recreation
spaces and have significant populations of people
who are economically disadvantaged. Managed by
the National Park Service and funded through the
Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nationally
competitive ORLP program provides matching
grants (up to 50% of total project costs) to assist
communities with little to no access to outdoor
recreation opportunities in urban areas. Funds can
be used for the acquisition and/or development of,
or to substantially renovate public parks and other
outdoor recreation spaces.724
Non-Governmental Grants
Pursuing competitive grants will require positioning
the Parks Plan projects as innovative and regionally
significant. This can be challenging, particularly in
neighborhoods that already have advantageous
attributes.
Philanthropic Donations & Foundation Grants
Several non-profit organizations, businesses, and
individuals provide donations to parks, particularly
if an improvement relates to their mission
statement. For example, several major donors
to the arts have provided the lead donations
for significant arts facilities in LA County. These
donors may be interested in supporting the arts
and cultural features of the Parks Plan. Another
example is groups that provide funding for wildlife
conservation, such as the soon-to-be-completed
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills.
Groups focused on conservation may be interested
in projects that are along Ballona Creek or in the
Baldwin Hills. A third purpose that might attract
family and corporate foundations is public health.
