WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pennsylvania and New York will be getting millions of dollars from the federal government to get people closer to nature.

Pennsylvania will receive $9.7 million and New York $14.6 million. The money is flowing to all states, territories, and the District of Columbia from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Stateside Assistance Program. 

Laura Daniel-Davis, acting deputy secretary of the Interior Department, said this is the program’s largest annual distribution since 1979 and supports the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative. The funding aims to support locally led outdoor recreation and conservation projects that protect and enhance access to the outdoors. 

Eligible projects include building new facilities and sprucing up existing ones to make it easier for everyone to enjoy nature.

Established by Congress in 1964, the LWCF is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and supports increased public access to federal public lands and waters, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and recreation areas. It provides matching grants to tribal, state, and local governments to support the acquisition and development of land for public parks and other outdoor recreation sites.