On July 1, 2022, Wyoming's Office of Outdoor Recreation announced the launch of the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Grant Program which will award funding to public outdoor recreation projects throughout the state. 

The pre-application opened on June 30 and closed on August 30 receiving 117 pre-applications from local, county, state, and tribal governments, as well as non-profit organizations across the state for a total of $71,239,338 in requested funding, exceeding available funds by over $51 million dollars.

These funds, made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the Wyoming Office of Tourism in 2022, will be awarded for projects that focus on the response to COVID-19 impacts, new outdoor recreation infrastructure, and economic impact in local communities.  

“Our office is encouraged by the number and diversity of applications that we received. We see large and small communities all across Wyoming looking to this grant program as an option to grow their economy in a way that makes sense for them and builds value for locals and the tourist economy alike,” said Patrick Harrington, Manager of the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation.

Various amounts of awards for grants will be offered between $20,000 and $749,000. Pre-applications will be reviewed and scored by an Outdoor Recreation Grant Committee. The grants will be evaluated for: ARPA eligibility of project, economic impact, new outdoor recreation infrastructure, budget and project costs, a funding match, and community support.

Applicants were required to provide a variety of project details including the total value of the proposed project, required 10% funding match source, other funding sources, project partners, proposed start and end dates, a risk assessment, and more.

In addition to more than $71 million in requested funds, pre-applications totaled $13,792,597 in project match funds. 

Of the 117 pre-applications received by Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, 47 were from state agencies, 37 from non-profits organizations, 22 from municipalities, 10 from county governments, and 1 from both a tribal government and a county/non-profit partnership. 

·  County: Requested $5,696,278; Match $2,502,882

·  Municipal: Requested $9,639,744; Match $3,808,983

·  Non-profit: Requested $10,100,817; Match $2,755,975

·  Partnership: Requested $749,999; Match Undefined

·  Tribal: Requested $57,500; Match $5,750

·  State: Requested $44,995,000; Match $4,719,007

The primary project categories for pre-applications include campgrounds at $15,198,599, other at $17,840,051, shooting at $1,541,000, trails at $39,231,535, and water-based at $11,220,750. These totals include requested and match funds. 

The Grant Review Committee will evaluate pre-application packages during the month of October. Applicants will be notified of approval or denial to the Application phase of the grant program by October 30th. 

For more information about the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Grant Program, visit wyorec.com.