FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2014
DEP ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR FLORIDA RECREATION DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
~Local government
grant opportunity to enhance public outdoor recreation~
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida
Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) is a state-competitive grant
program, funded by the Florida Legislature which provides financial assistance
to local governments to develop and/or acquire land for public outdoor
recreational purposes. The 2015-2016 FRDAP submission cycle opened Monday, Oct.
13 and will close Friday, Oct. 31.
Municipal and county governments, or other legally
constituted entities with the legal responsibility to provide public outdoor
recreation, can apply for FRDAP funds. The maximum grant an applicant may apply for is $200,000 and
projects over $50,000 have a local match requirement. Applicants can use cash,
the value of undeveloped land owned by the applicant (subject to conditions)
and in-kind services to match grant funds.
“These grants help provide opportunities for communities to
expand and improve their local parks,” said Katy Fenton, DEP deputy secretary
of land & recreation. “We encourage local governmental entities to apply
for FRDAP grants and help contribute to preserving Florida’s natural and
cultural resources.”
A proposed FRDAP project must be for one of the three
following categories: acquisition of land for public outdoor recreational
purposes, development and/or renovation of land for public outdoor recreational
purposes or construction, and/or renovation of a public recreational trail. If
an acquisition project receives an FRDAP grant, the applicant must develop the
acquired site for public outdoor recreation use within three years.
At the close of the submission cycle, eligible applications
are evaluated by the department according to the Florida Administrative Code
and assigned a final score. Based on the scores, the department submits a
recommended priority list to the Florida Legislature for funding consideration.
Additional information, including the 2015-2016 FRDAP application, can be found here.
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