Recreation and Visitor Services (15.225)
Recreation and Visitor Services (Assistance Listing 15.225) is run by the Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $45.7 million in 188 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $243,314 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $73,329. Half of the 188 awards fell between $30,000 and $178,425, and they ranged from $1 to $11.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$45.7 million
- Grant awards188
- Typical award$73,329
- Awarded in FY 2025$4.8 million
- Size rank1,066 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $4.3 million in fiscal 2021 to $4.8 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1066th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 78% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 20 states and territories.
What the program funds
Public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provide some of the most diverse outdoor recreation opportunities on Federal lands in the western United States. The BLM’s Recreation and Visitor Services Program oversees a broad and complex set of recreation related programs, which provide a multitude of recreation opportunities and experiences. These recreation resources and visitor services support strong local economies and public land conservation. As BLM works to enhance recreational opportunities, we strive to remain a good neighbor and partner. The BLM manages recreation resources and visitor services to offer the greatest benefits possible to individuals and communities and to better enable communities to achieve their own desired social, economic, and environmental outcomes. BLM public lands are now recognized as America’s Great Outdoors, a “Backyard to Backcountry” treasure. They are uniquely accessible. More than 290 urban areas and thousands of rural towns are located within 25 miles of BLM lands. The Recreation and Visitor Services Program provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities that benefit the public and local communities.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
What the money can and cannot pay for
Projects are used to benefit public lands administered by the BLM. Most of these lands are located in the Western United States and Alaska. Financial assistance can be used for assisting the BLM in the management, protection and/or upgrade recreational resources and related facilities, and in providing related public contact/education opportunities. To fulfill the intent of Congress as specified in legislation authorizing the Agency to obligate and manage financial assistance funds; special appropriations projects; and awards for purposes consistent with the mission, expertise, and goals of the Agency.;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Past partnership projects have ranged from $2000 to $1,000,000. Average amounts approximately $60,000 or less.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: The BLM prioritized projects that advanced Administration and Department priorities, as well as implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act and the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. These projects: 1) Encouraged, facilitated, and improved partnership with and access for youth, tribes and numerous communities to public lands; 2) enhanced outdoor recreational opportunities and activities; 3) Improved public health and safety at developed recreation sites and areas by updating and modernizing infrastructure-including meeting accessibility standards for people with disabilities; and 4) Invited increased recreational access for all Americans to encourage enjoyment of BLM-managed public lands and waters.Fiscal Year2026: Project are unknown at this time, but examples could include: Improve public health and safety at recreation sites and areas by maintaining and modernizing infrastructure. Expand access to quality recreation opportunities across all BLM lands and waters. Streamline recreation permitting and expand digital platforms to improve user experience and operational efficiency. Promote a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities like hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, hiking, biking, climbing, driving off-highway vehicles and other outdoor recreational activities. Increase recreational opportunities and affordability for all Americans.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Recreation and Visitor Services (15.225) awarded $45.7 million across 188 grant awards, an average of $243,314 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Land Management Foundation | District of Columbia | 2 | $17.2 million |
| International Mountain Bicycling Association | Colorado | 8 | $2.6 million |
| North Slope Borough | Alaska | 1 | $2.5 million |
| Southern Nevada Conservancy | Nevada | 4 | $2.4 million |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska | 3 | $1.2 million |
| Iditarod National Historic Trail, Inc | Alaska | 1 | $1.0 million |
| Public Lands Interpretive Association | New Mexico | 9 | $917,735 |
| Society for Wilderness Stewardship | Montana | 4 | $789,244 |
| Friends of Nevada Wilderness | Nevada | 4 | $745,920 |
| Pacific Crest Trail Association | California | 1 | $739,550 |
| Galt Joint Union Elementary School District | California | 2 | $719,951 |
| Colorado Canyons Association | Colorado | 2 | $643,200 |
| Wood River Trails Coalition Inc | Idaho | 1 | $611,435 |
| San Juan Mountains Association | Colorado | 3 | $605,361 |
| Nevada Outdoor School | Nevada | 4 | $545,280 |
| The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, Inc. | District of Columbia | 2 | $525,000 |
| Tread Lightly! Inc | Utah | 10 | $524,272 |
| Partnership for the National Trails System Inc | District of Columbia | 2 | $504,031 |
| North American Association for Environmental Education, Inc. | District of Columbia | 1 | $485,568 |
| Trailkeepers of Oregon | Oregon | 2 | $479,690 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 82% of the money, colleges and universities 4.7% and state and local governments 3.9%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 126 | $37.3 million | 82% |
| Other | 29 | $4.5 million | 9.8% |
| Colleges and universities | 14 | $2.1 million | 4.7% |
| State and local governments | 19 | $1.8 million | 3.9% |
By state
9 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 7 | $18.8 million |
| Colorado | 50 | $7.0 million |
| Alaska | 12 | $5.0 million |
| Nevada | 17 | $4.1 million |
| California | 23 | $3.3 million |
| New Mexico | 13 | $1.5 million |
| Idaho | 13 | $1.2 million |
| Montana | 10 | $1.0 million |
| Utah | 14 | $841,085 |
| Oregon | 6 | $622,334 |
| Maryland | 4 | $483,249 |
| Texas | 3 | $394,186 |
| Arizona | 3 | $326,627 |
| Minnesota | 3 | $316,900 |
| Wyoming | 3 | $254,000 |
| Washington | 3 | $245,088 |
| Indiana | 1 | $242,358 |
| Florida | 1 | $30,000 |
| Georgia | 1 | $25,000 |
| Virginia | 1 | $7,634 |