OpenDeadline extended (was Jun 7, 2030)Opportunity P26AS00146

Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice

National Park Service · Department of the Interior

At a glance

Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice is an open federal grant opportunity from the National Park Service (Department of the Interior). Applications are due November 30, 2030. Individual awards are listed as $250K – $3M, with about 10 awards expected and $9M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments and others (see notice). Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 15.916 (Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and Planning).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Jun 8, 2026Posted
Nov 30, 2030Application deadlinenext date
Dec 30, 2030Archived

Posted: Jun 8, 2026
Close date: Nov 30, 2030
Archive date: Dec 30, 2030
Award floor: $250,000
Award ceiling: $3,000,000
Est. total funding: $9,000,000
Original deadline (extended): Jun 7, 2030
Expected awards: 10
Cost sharing: Required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

State governments
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Eligible Applicants ☒ State governments ☒ Territorial governments The following entities are eligible to apply directly for funding through RARI: State and Territorial Lead Agencies, in each of the 50 states as well as American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands About State and Territorial Lead Agencies - In accordance with the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act (54 U.S.C. 200305(a)), each state has a State Lead Agency designated by the state's Governor or by state legislation for the purposes of implementing LWCF. A State Lead Agency may submit applications on behalf of themselves or an eligible sub-recipient. The following entities are eligible sub-recipients and must apply through their State or Territorial Lead Agency: Other state agencies Federally recognized Indian tribes Local units of governments and special purpose districts (must be an entity created by a legislative authority vested sovereignty and with a stated mission that includes acquiring, developing, owning and managing recreation areas, and be able to demonstrate it can meet the perpetual protection requirement of the LWCF program) Additional Information on Eligibility Eligible Areas - Projects must serve an eligible area, defined as: an active REPI Partnership Opportunity Area or a Sentinel Landscape. Applicants can check whether their proposed project is in a REPI Partnership Opportunity Area and/or Sentinel Landscape via the REPI Interactive Map. Filter the Layer list to include "Military > REPI Partnership Opportunity Area" and "Sentinel Landscapes > Sentinel Landscapes"

Also named in the notice's eligibility text

Federally recognized tribal governments

Matched from the wording above by GrantsJunction — confirm in the full announcement.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for the Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI), administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The purpose of the program is to: 1) provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and 2) promote or support compatible land uses and avoid incompatible development in areas in the vicinity of, or ecologically related to, a military installation or military airspace, and/or to maintain or enhance disaster resilience. RARI is a program within the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). State and Local Assistance Program. RARI funding is available in addition to traditional LWCF state formula grants and does not affect state apportionments. RARI operates in partnership with the Department of War (DOW) and seeks to leverage funding across departments to benefit the general public and military communities. RARI is dollar for dollar match, meaning it covers up to 50% of all project costs and applicants are responsible for funding the remaining 50% of project costs. However, for RARI projects, DOW Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) funds are allowable to meet the LWCF Act's cost-share requirement (10 U.S.C. 2684a). Therefore, 100% of project costs could be funded through these two federal programs. To be eligible, proposed projects must: Include a land acquisition component. Be in a Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Partnership Opportunity Area or Sentinel Landscape. Have a Letter of Support from a Military Installation or Range commander.1 Additional LWCF requirements for the RARI program: Perpetuity Requirement - Projects assisted through RARI must be maintained and accessible exclusively for public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. This applies to the assisted park or site in its entirety, not just the area assisted by the grant funds. Alignment with LWCF Law and Policy - As an LWCF program, RARI projects must align with the purposes and requirements of the LWCF Act and LWCF Manual. This includes meeting a priority need or goal identified in the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). Alignment with National Priorities – Projects must be responsive to Executive and National priorities, including those outlined in Executive Order 14313, "Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission" and Secretarial Order 3442, "Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior."

Additional information from the agency ↗

Full announcement & documents

The full announcement has the complete rules — page limits, required attachments, evaluation criteria and any letter-of-intent dates. Files download directly from Grants.gov.

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above, and plan for the required cost sharing/match.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Open the application packageUse opportunity number P26AS00146 on Grants.gov (Grants.gov Workspace). Open ↗
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyNational Park Service · RARI_Inquiries@nps.gov Open ↗
Submit before November 30, 2030In accordance with the LWCF Act, non-Federal cost share in the amount of 50% or 1:1 ratio is required to be eligible for an award under this NOFO. Applicants are not required to have their cost-share secured at the time of their application to this NOFO, but they must provide documentation of their plan to secure matching funds. Applicants must secure their cost-share before finalizing a grant agreement with the NPS. This could be up to one year after selection through this NOFO. Applicants must document all cost share contributions in their final Budget Narrative. The eligible non-Federal contributions may include land donation or purchase, cash, in-kind contributions, or volunteer services, in line with federal award requirements (2 CFR § 200.306). Additionally, the following will be accepted as contributions for non-Federal share: Existing State or local government-owned lands not currently used for recreation may be used as part of the non-Federal matching share for acquisition grants. Property donated between a State and its subdivisions may be used as part of the non-Federal matching share. Per 54 U.S.C. 200305(f)(1), projects applying for a RARI grant can only include Congressionally designated Federal cost-share sources in their budgets. Other Federal sources, such as LWCF formula funds, are not permitted, even if all program cost share requirements are met. Projects including other federal funds within the proposed budget, unless they are serving as authorized cost share, will be eliminated from the competition without consideration. Exception for Non-Federal Requirement: Certain federal programs are authorized by their enabling legislation to be treated as non-federal match. For this notice, applicants can use federal Department of War Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program funds to meet LWCF's required cost-share, as specified in 2 CFR 200.306(b)(5). REPI funding may be used to "to satisfy any matching funds or cost- sharing requirement of any conservation or resilience program of any Federal agency notwithstanding any limitation of such program on the source of matching or cost-sharing funds" (10 U.S.C. 2684a). More information on DOW REPI funding can be found on the following REPI Program websites: REPI - Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program https://www.repi.mil/Buffer-Projects/Project-List/. https://www.repi.mil/Buffer-Projects/REPI-Challenge/ Exception for Insular Areas: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not need to provide 50% non-Federal cost share. These areas can receive full (100%) federal funding. Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

15.916Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and PlanningProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 15.916

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$444M

FY25

$543M

FY26

$550M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 15.916. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 15.916

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 2,453 grant awards had funding actions under Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and Planning, with 196 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION$151M
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT$95M
NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION$37.9M
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES$37.4M
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES$36.9M

Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

National Park Service
RARI_Inquiries@nps.gov
202-697-2035

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice”?

According to the official notice, applications are due November 30, 2030. The notice adds: “In accordance with the LWCF Act, non-Federal cost share in the amount of 50% or 1:1 ratio is required to be eligible for an award under this NOFO. Applicants are not required to have their cost-share secured at the time of their application” Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice”?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments and Others (see notice). Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $250k – $3m, total estimated program funding is $9,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 10 awards.

How do I apply for “Readiness and Recreation Initiative (RARI) – Recurring 5 Year Notice”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity P26AS00146), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenALN 15.916