Town of Saratoga to receive Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for Never Fort Park
The Never Forget Park committee recently received word that the Town of Saratoga will be a recipient of an award of approximately $278,200 from the federally funded Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Wyoming's LWCF project is administered by Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Grants Office. Using no taxpayer dollars, the LWCF invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help establish and improve parks and other outdoor recreation areas. This award requires a match from the Town of Saratoga, which includes cash and in-kind contributions.
The process began in July of last year with a pre-application. The “Never Forget Park” project committee was invited to submit a full application in late November 2023. Since that time, additional documentation was required. The committee included letters from the State Historical Preservation Office indicating no cultural artifacts were in the project area. Likewise, a letter of determination from the United States Fish & Wildlife Department documented the absence of endangered species. The project was required to align with the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and receive support from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department. Detailed budgets, timeline, and site plans were also included in the application.
The grant allows for expenditures in Phase 3 AMENITIES & PARKING portion of the project, to include a restroom facility, amphitheater and a finished parking lot. Work is expected to begin soon, and considerable progress will be made next spring and summer.
The NFP Committee reminds the community that cash donations are still needed. Memorial and honorary benches are being sold for $1000 each. For a $100 donation, veterans and first responders can be memorialized or honored with a plaque attached to the benches. Please contact the committee by emailing [email protected] or via a message from the website http://www.neverforgetpark.com Donor can also mail checks with “Never Forget Park” noted in the memo line to either:
Reader Comments(0)