Sustainable Recreation, Tourism, and Equitable Outdoor Access Directed Grant Program (2025-2027)

The Sustainable Recreation, Tourism, and Equitable Outdoor Access Directed Grant Program (2025-2027) supports innovative projects aimed at enhancing sustainable recreation and tourism in the Sierra-Cascade region. Key goals include improving public access to nature, mitigating overuse impacts on resources, and fostering sustainable recreation economies. Projects eligible for funding must focus on climate resilience, equitable access, or landscape-scale assessments, all ensuring multiple benefits for community education and environmental protection.

This Grant Program aims to support innovative efforts to enhance, promote, and develop sustainable recreation and tourism opportunities and increase access for all to public lands in the Sierra-Cascade region. Program goals include improving access to nature and outdoor recreation opportunities, reducing impacts of overuse on natural and cultural resources, and supporting the development of sustainable recreation economies. The Sustainable Recreation, Tourism, and Equitable Outdoor Access Directed Grant Program aims to support innovative efforts to enhance, promote, and develop sustainable recreation and tourism opportunities and increase access for all to public lands in the Sierra-Cascade region.
Program goals include improving access to nature and outdoor recreation opportunities, reducing impacts of overuse on natural and cultural resources, and supporting the development of sustainable recreation economies.
Projects must fall within one of the following three focus areas to be considered for funding:
Build Climate Resilience: Support the planning, development, and maintenance of recreation and outdoor infrastructure that anticipates or adapts to increased use and pressure from climate change and visitors escaping extreme weather. Projects must clearly have multiple benefits, such as tourism as well as education, recreation infrastructure with water-quality benefits, or recreation with habitat protection. Improve/Increase Access for All: Improve and/or increase access to nature, including for communities that have not traditionally had equitable access through grants which result in either the implementation or identification, prioritization, and preparation for capital improvement projects. Projects must clearly have multiple benefits, such as tourism as well as education, recreation infrastructure with water-quality benefits, or recreation with habitat protection. Landscape-scale Assessments: Support landscape-scale partnerships to develop an assessment of landscape conditions and risks to recreational infrastructure and other assets. Projects must clearly have multiple benefits, such as tourism as well as education, recreation infrastructure with water-quality benefits, or recreation with habitat protection.