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brief summary
-Responsibilities of the review committee and SLO
The fund was established in 1964 by Congress to create parks and open space, protect wilderness, wetlands, and refuges, preserve habitat and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities. The fund is principally supported through receipts from oil and gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. In most years, Congress makes an LWCF appropriation to each state. States receive individual allocations of LWCF grant funds based on a national formula, with state population being the most influential factor.
The National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, administers the program on behalf of the federal government. Authority for the program at the state level is vested in the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the State Liaison Officer (SLO) appointed by the Governor.
To
be eligible for LWCF assistance, every state must prepare and regularly
update a statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan (SCORP). The
SCORP includes inventories or assessments of current recreation resources
(local, state and federal) within a state, identifies needs and new opportunities
for outdoor recreation improvements and sets forth a five-year action
agenda to meet the goals identified by its citizens and elected leaders.
Historically, North Carolina's LWCF annual allocation has been split 60/40 between local governments and state agencies.
Responsibilities of the state liaison officer and review committee
The state liaison officer (SLO) shall annually review the LWCF allocation in consultation and with advice from the LWCF Review Committee. The SLO shall determine the minimum and maximum amount of grant awards for state agency and local government projects.
A LWCF Review Committee is appointed by the SLO to advise him/her in the project selection process. The committee shall consist of the alternate state liaison officer and eight members. Membership should include representation from a broad range of outdoor recreation interests, including representation from outside state government as well as minority interests.
During each funding cycle, the LWCF Review Committee will review the evaluations of each application submitted, consider the ranking of the projects and recommend a list of projects to the SLO for funding. The SLO recommends the list of projects to the National Park Service for final review and funding.
