LWCF PROJECTS AT RISK

Below are a sample of Fiscal Year 2024 & 2025 Department of the Interior LWCF Projects that are in Jeopardy:

About LWCF Projects: Within the boundaries of our national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands units, there is a great deal of privately owned land. While not all this land can or should be acquired, many such inholdings are critically important to enhance public recreation access and/or to protect natural or cultural resources. LWCF provides funds for agency purchases of property in fee or using permanent conservation easements from willing sellers. These are not traditional grant programs but rather funding that is directed to the federal agencies for acquisition through their internal and individual processes, each serving the agency’s unique mission and goals.

Recreation Access - 🧗 | Hunting & Fishing - 🎣 | Water Protection - 💧 | Wildlife Habitat - 🦌 | Trails - 🥾

  • FY25 - $500,000 - 120 Acres
    FY24 - $500,000 - 140 Acres

    FY25: FWS will acquire two tracts totaling 120 acres that will connect several tracts of existing Refuge lands. Acquisition will expand conservation of the floodplain of the White River and protect an important bottomland hardwoods ecosystem containing extant, seasonally flooded forest and permanent hardwood swamp. The tracts contain high value foraging, migrating, and wintering habitat resources for waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds, as well as breeding habitat for wood duck and forest-interior birds. Acquisition will expand public wildlife-dependent recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. 

    FY24: The Service will begin phased acquisition of a 760-acre tract adjacent to the Cache River and existing Refuge lands. Acquisition would greatly expand conservation of the floodplain of the Cache River and protect an important bottomland hardwoods ecosystem containing extant, seasonally flooded forest, permanent hardwood swamp, and moist-soil areas. Additionally, there are over 450 acres of agricultural land that, once restored to native hardwoods, will expand the floodplain forest and protection of soil and water resources even further. The tract contains high value foraging, migrating, and wintering habitat resources for waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, landbirds, and breeding habitat for wood duck and forest-interior birds. Conservation of this parcel will benefit a wide variety of fish and wildlife species, potentially including federally listed species such as northern long-eared bat, eastern black rail, red knot, piping plover, and monarch butterfly. The tract is near a county road and will provide public recreational access to 1,200 acres of existing Refuge lands.

  • FY25 - $4,500,000 - 79 Acres
    FY24 - $4,690,000 - 81 Acres

    FY25: FWS will acquire approximately 79 acres as part of the phased acquisition of a 430-acre tract. Acquisition will enable FWS and its partners to restore the land to tidal marsh in the future. Tidal marshes provide for storm resiliency and marsh migration. The acquisition supports the goals of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture. As part of the acquisition, the agency’s conservation partner is conducting listening sessions with the Confederated Villages of Lisjan/Ohlone and other local Tribes to document cultural resources and lore. Acquisition will expand public wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, such as hiking and fishing. 

    FY24: The Service will begin phased acquisition of a 430-acre tract. Acquisition will allow the Service and  partners to restore the land to tidal marsh to accommodate sea level rise and marsh migration. The acquisition supports the goals of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture. As part of the acquisition, our conservation partner is having listening sessions with local Tribes to document cultural resources and lore. Acquisition will expand public wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, such as hiking and fishing. 

  • FY25 - - $200,000 - 30 Acres

    FY25: The purpose of this action is to acquire approximately 30 acres of undeveloped private land within the Boise Front SRMA adjacent to the Boise River WMA and other BLM-managed public land. The acquisition would help implement the 1988 Cascade RMP which states that the BLM should obtain acquisitions of lands that contribute to the management of important natural resources and improve habitat quality in big game winter range and migratory corridors. Acquisition would help protect crucial big game (elk and mule deer) winter range within the IDFG's Boise River Population management unit from urban development. The parcel would provide connectivity to adjacent big game winter range habitat for the WMA.  With increasing loss of riparian areas to development, downstream communities may experience more frequent and intense floods, reduced water quality, reduced wildlife and fish populations, as well as reduced stream flow duration and bank storage capacity. Benefits from healthy riparian areas include flood control, erosion control, water filtration, wildlife habitat, and recreation.

  • FY25 - $9,000,000 - 7,500 Acres
    FY24 - $4,500,000 - 3,750 Acres

    FY25: The proposed acquisition is 7,500 acres with the larger La Jara Creek Parcel Acquisition, a collaborative multi agency acquisition consisting of 45,650 acres from a willing landowner, who wants to keep the land available for public use. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would acquire 22,575 acres bordered or surrounded by BLM-managed land, Forest Service would acquire 21,245 acres bordered by the RGNF, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife would acquire 1,830 acres in the La Jara Reservoir SWA, which they manage under a lease. The proposed acquisition will help to reduce or eliminate adverse impacts to the landscape if it were to be sold to a private entity. The enhanced public access resulting from this acquisition would increase different types of outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing. The wildlife migration corridors and habitat connectivity, rich cultural resources, recreation opportunities, and regional and local traditional uses will remain intact and be enhanced through public lands management and cooperation among agencies.

    FY24: The proposed acquisition is 3,750 acres with the larger La Jara Creek Parcel Acquisition, a collaborative multiagency acquisition consisting of 45,650 acres from a willing landowner. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would acquire 22,575 acres bordered or surrounded by BLM-managed land, Forest Service would acquire 21,245 acres bordered by the RGNF, and CPW would acquire 1,833 acres in the La Jara Reservoir SWA, which they manage under a lease. The proposed acquisition will also help to reduce or eliminate adverse environmental, biological, and cultural impacts to the landscape if it were to be sold to a private entity. The enhanced public access resulting from this acquisition would increase different types of outdoor activities and experiences for visitors in a resource- rich area. The wildlife migration corridors and habitat connectivity, rich cultural resources, recreation opportunities, and regional and local traditional uses will remain intact and be enhanced through public lands management and cooperation among agencies.

  • FY25 - $8,000,000 - 600 Acres
    FY24 - $10,000,000 - 2,500 Acres

    FY25: FWS will acquire approximately 600 acres in fee title and conservation easements. Refuge acquisitions are strongly supported by a variety of partners and stakeholders. Funding will be leveraged by the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program. Acquisitions will help the Everglades ecosystem become a more connected and functional conservation landscape that will provide effective habitat connections between existing conservation areas and allow habitats and species to shift in response to urban development pressures. Conservation easements help preserve one of Florida's last working rural landscapes, benefiting the local economy. Acquisitions also contribute to safeguarding water supply for millions of Floridians and marine life by protecting groundwater recharge areas and holding and treating surface water runoff, which significantly contributes to efforts to protect and restore watersheds by reducing fresh and saltwater algae blooms. Fee acquisitions provide public outdoor recreational opportunities, such as hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation.

    FY24: The Service is working with willing sellers to acquire 2,500 acres in fee and conservation easements.  Refuge acquisitions are strongly supported by a variety of partners and stakeholders. Funding will be leveraged by the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape through the Readiness and  Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program. Acquisitions will help the Everglades ecosystem become a more connected and functional conservation landscape that will provide effective habitat  connections between existing conservation areas and allow habitats and species to shift in response to urban development pressures and weather patterns. Conservation easements help preserve one of Florida’s  last working rural landscapes, protecting a unique regional landscape, trust resources, and the local  economy. Acquisitions also contribute to safeguarding water supply for millions of Floridians and marine  life by protecting groundwater recharge areas and holding and treating surface water runoff, which  significantly contributes to efforts to protect and restore watersheds by reducing fresh and saltwater algae blooms. Fee acquisitions provide public outdoor recreational opportunities, including hunting, fishing,  wildlife observation and photography, and hiking.  

  • FY25 - $2,400,000 - 2,143 Acres

    FY25: The first planned acquisition is in the northeastern area of the Monument in Butte County and comprises the Huddles Hole kipuka. There is an 80-acre BLM parcel in the center of the kipuka that is entirely surrounded by private land. Access to the property is by a primitive road off the Arco-Minidoka Road. No easements exist across the BLM that access the private property. Cultural resource inventories have not been completed on the property; however, there is a likelihood of evidence of pre-contact use of the kipuka and along the lava edges consistent to similar areas in the Monument.  The second planned acquisition is located in north Laidlaw kipuka in Blaine County. It has been fenced by the private landowner in the past. The property is adjacent to Snowdrift Crater and the Great Rift Wilderness Study Area (WSA). Snowdrift Crater is a popular destination in the Monument for hunting and other recreational activities. The BLM estimates that 5,000 visitors per year make use of the undeveloped portions of the Monument, including visits to Snowdrift Crater and the Great Rift WSA. The parcel is located within designated Priority Sage Grouse Habitat. Snowdrift Crater is the top of a low angle shield volcano that formed nearly 500,000 years ago. It supports a large stand of quaking aspens and wildlife species including deer, elk, pronghorn, and many bird species.

  • FY25 - $2,500,000 - 1,425 Acres

    FY25: The purpose of the acquisition is to acquire and safeguard fish, wildlife, and plant life  resources within the expanded boundary of the CSNM. The expanded boundary now incorporates lower-elevation habitat types, such as foothill oak woodland habitats, that support incredible biodiversity. A key purpose of the expansion was also to deepen the buffer around the original monument and improve habitat connectivity along the elevation gradient. Acquisition of Emigrant Creek Ranch into the monument's portfolio will increase habitat and connectivity for game species moving between the mountain systems and the lower elevation oak woodlands. Public ownership of these parcels would provide new recreational opportunities for the public to enjoy the national monument, and greatly enhance recreational opportunities on adjacent public land. These parcels provide important summer habitat for deer and elk and hunting opportunities for species such as, black bear, deer, elk, cougar, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, grouse, quail, and numerous others. Recreational opportunities include birdwatching, wildlife viewing, hiking, equestrian use, and dispersed camping. 

  • FY25 - $1,800,000 - 475 Acres
    FY24 - $3,500,000 - 585 Acres

    FY25: FWS will acquire a 475-acre conservation easement. The property runs from the valley floor to the top ofa hill at 500 feet and contains diverse habitat. The current land use includes approximately 300 acres of mixed woodlands, 200 acres of seed production (orchard grass), a hay field, and pasture with limited grazing. The easement will protect oak and prairie habitat and help provide a wildlife corridor between Baskett Slough NWR to the north and other protected lands to the south. Restoration of native upland prairie will significantly benefit native species such as grassland birds, pollinators, and rare plants.

    FY24: The Service will acquire a 585-acre property that is one of the largest prairie restorations in the Willamette Valley. For over 15 years, multiple Federal, State, and other conservation partners have helped the landowner restore agricultural lands to oak and prairie ecosystems. The property now supports several focal species of concern, including western meadowlark, short-eared owl, and elk. It also supports thousands of wintering waterfowl and raptors. The property was the first place in Willamette Valley where short-eared owls were found nesting after an absence of more than eight decades. The property has the potential to contribute to recovery of multiple Federally listed species, such as the streaked horned lark, Fender's blue butterfly, Nelson's checkermallow, and the Willamette daisy. Acquisition will ensure perpetual conservation of the property and public access for recreation such as wildlife observation, photography, and hiking.

  • FY24 - $7,450,000 - 4,020 Acres

    FY24: FWS will acquire approximately 79 acres as part of the phased acquisition of a 430-acre tract. Acquisition will enable FWS and its partners to restore the land to tidal marsh in the future. Tidal marshes provide for storm resiliency and marsh migration. The acquisition supports the goals of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture. As part of the acquisition, the agency’s conservation partner is conducting listening sessions with the Confederated Villages of Lisjan/Ohlone and other local Tribes to document cultural resources and lore. Acquisition will expand public wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, such as hiking and fishing. 

    FY24: The Service will begin phased acquisition of a 430-acre tract. Acquisition will allow the Service and  partners to restore the land to tidal marsh to accommodate sea level rise and marsh migration. The acquisition supports the goals of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture. As part of the acquisition, our conservation partner is having listening sessions with local Tribes to document cultural resources and lore. Acquisition will expand public wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, such as hiking and fishing. 

  • FY25 - $7,00,000 - 5,648 Acres
    FY24 - $2,200,000 - 2,200 Acres

    FY25: The proposed acquisition of 5,648 acres, adjacent to existing BLM managed lands, maintains access to public lands for recreational opportunities, including but not limited to snowmobile use, cross country skiing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and fishing. Under past and present landowner "open lands" policies, recreationists have come to view the former industrial timberlands as if they are publicly owned. The proposed acquisition maintains access for public use and enjoyment as well as protecting critically important resources. The proposed acquisition would ensure active management for multiple benefits including restoring habitat for threatened and endangered species (Canada Lynx and grizzly bear) and ensuring proper watershed function for aquatic species. It would also provide working lands with active forestry and fuels programs; continued grazing; and provide greater access to sacred areas, plant gathering areas, and other important areas for Tribal groups.

    FY24: The proposed acquisition of 2,200 acres, adjacent to existing public lands managed by the BLM, maintains access to public lands for recreational opportunities, including but not limited to snowmobile use, cross country skiing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and fishing. Under past and present landowner “open lands” policies, recreationists have come to view the former industrial timberlands as if they are publicly owned. The proposed acquisition maintains access for public use and enjoyment as well as protecting critically important resources. The proposed acquisition would provide working lands with active forestry and fuels programs; continued grazing; and provide greater access to sacred areas, plant gathering areas, and other important areas for tribal groups.

  • FY25 - $4,500,000 - 298 Acres

    FY25: The acquisition of the La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs provides BLM the opportunity to develop a recreational site very close to the city of Santa Fe. It provides viewing opportunity for hundreds of petroglyphs along the Santa Fe River. The site is also of interest to those tracing the route of El Camino Trail. The purpose of the acquisition is to improve recreational access and opportunities to explore La Cienega ACEC, protect critical ecological habitat centered around rare riparian resources, and to preserve rich cultural resources in New Mexico. Permanent conservation of this property has been a twenty-year goal of the BLM and its partner, the Trust for Public Land. This acquisition would contribute to on-going efforts with the county and city to develop a contiguous river trail to link communities with natural resources and the area's rich cultural history. The proposed acquisition includes 0.5 mile along the Santa Fe River and encompasses riparian habitat that provides critical cover and water for wildlife. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish allocates 345 hunting licenses for mule deer and 840 licenses for elk in this game unit. These species are known to frequent the Santa Fe River as they move throughout the unit and from winter range to summer range.

  • FY25 - $8,000,000 - 16,565 Acres

    FY25: Designated for its scenic significance, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) spans California desert valleys to Northwestern rain forests, offering hikers and equestrians a wide variety of climate and terrain. The PCT is managed for primitive camping, equestrian use, hiking, photography, scenic viewing, wildlife watching, and hunting. The proposed acquisition will reduce checkerboard ownership and improve the ability to manage and accommodate changes to species ranges in response to climate change in a wildlife movement corridor of statewide significance. The proposal would transfer approximately six miles of PCT from private ownership and allow for increased trail signing, brushing, water control structures, and other facilities to improve the condition, sustainability, and utility of the PCT. The properties overlap with the Jawbone Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) which is popular for both motorized and non-motorized activities. Designated off-highway vehicle (OHV) routes run throughout the project area, and the acquisition would provide for trail connectivity, along with providing additional access to areas for low-impact activities such as camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, photography, and many other opportunities. The cultural resource values within the proposal include prehistoric villages, habitation locales, lithic reduction sites, and extensive pictograph and petroglyph rock art sites. The project area is located within the traditional range of the Niwi (Kawaiisu) people, who identified several traditional resource gathering sites, ceremonial locations, and religious areas.