Local Park Grants Funding

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Summary

Executive Summary: Staff seeks approval of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) local park grant funding recommendations. The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), State and Local Assistance Program, the Texas Large County and Municipality Recreation and Parks Account (Urban Parks Account), and the Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA) provide matching grants to local governments for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland and recreation facilities.

Resumen ejecutivo: El personal busca la aprobación de las recomendaciones de financiación local de parques del Departamento de Parques y Vida Silvestre de Texas (TPWD). El Fondo Federal de Conservación de Tierras y Agua (LWCF), el Programa de Asistencia Estatal y Local, la Cuenta de Recreación y Parques de Grandes Condados y Municipios de Texas (Cuenta de Parques Urbanos) y la Cuenta de Recreación y Parques de Texas (TRPA) otorgan subvenciones equivalentes a los gobiernos locales para la adquisición y/o desarrollo de parques públicos e instalaciones recreativas.

Commission Agenda Item No. 1
Presenter: Dan Reece

Action
Local Park Grants Funding
Request Approval of Proposed Funding Recommendations
January 22, 2026

I.        Executive Summary: Staff seeks approval of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) local park grant funding recommendations. The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), State and Local Assistance Program, the Texas Large County and Municipality Recreation and Parks Account (Urban Parks Account), and the Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA) provide matching grants to local governments for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland and recreation facilities.

II.     Discussion: TPWD makes available Urban Outdoor, Non-Urban Outdoor, and Small Community Recreation Grants to local governments in Texas, based on population size, for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland. Funds available include: $13,166,820 from the LWCF; $3,000,000 from the Urban Parks Account; and $5,040,176 from the TRPA. Staff also anticipates that TPWD may receive additional funds that could be applied to these grants.

As of August 1, 2025, TPWD received applications from eligible entities requesting $47,184,117 in matching fund assistance for their projects. Staff recommends granting support for projects in the amount of $21,206,996. Staff also recommends granting additional support from any additional funds that are made available to TPWD in the current fiscal year.

Exhibits A through C show the projects for each grant type ranked in descending order based on each grant program’s scoring criteria, as previously adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission).

III.   Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Commission adopt the following motions:

Motion 1: “Funding for projects listed in Exhibits A through C in the amount of $21,206,996 is approved.”

Motion 2: “Funding for projects listed in Exhibits A through C is approved in the amount of additional funding that is made available in the current fiscal year.”

1. Exhibit A – Urban Outdoor Scoring
2. Exhibit B – Non-Urban Outdoor Scoring
3. Exhibit C – Small Community Scoring

Commission Agenda Item No. 1
Exhibit A

Urban Outdoor Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 71 San Antonio Pearsall Park $1,500,000 $1,500,000
1 71 Fort Worth Oak Grove Park Phase II $1,500,000 $1,500,000
3 65 Austin Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park $1,499,053  
4 62 Houston Trinity Gardens Park $1,500,000  
Totals $5,999,053 $3,000,000

Commission Agenda Item No. 1
Exhibit B

Non-Urban Outdoor Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 82 Kyle Steeplechase Park $750,000 $750,000
1 82 Cameron County Bejarano-McFarland Phase 2 $750,000 $750,000
3 78 Burleson Community Park $750,000 $750,000
4 77 San Benito San Benito Wetlands $750,000 $750,000
5 71 Wellington Ellison Park $608,966 $608,966
6 69 Port Arthur Washington Park and Pioneer Park $552,147 $552,147
6 69 Castroville Lion's Park $469,367 $469,367
8 68 Marble Falls Westside Park $750,000 $750,000
8 68 Edinburg Memorial Park $347,927 $347,927
10 67 New Braunfels Neighborhood Park $700,890 $700,890
10 67 Breckenridge City Park $430,706 $430,706
10 67 Victoria Meadowlane Park $357,500 $357,500
13 64 Glen Rose Glen Rose Soccer Park $750,000 $750,000
13 64 Alvarado Pecan Orchard Development Project $522,996 $522,996
15 63 The Colony B.B. Owens Softball Complex $750,000 $750,000
15 63 McLennan County Tradinghouse Lake Park $551,535 $551,535
17 62 Wimberley Blue Hole Regional Park III $750,000 $750,000
17 62 Pearsall Victor Trevino Sports Complex II $582,769 $582,769
17 62 Harlingen Arroyo Park $750,000 $750,000
17 62 Rio Grande City Fort Ringgold Park $367,700 $367,700
21 61 Liberty Hill Heart of the Park II $750,000 $750,000
21 61 Plainview Running Water Draw Park $750,000 $750,000
21 61 Allen Ford Park $750,000 $750,000
21 61 Center American Legion Park Phase II $250,000 $250,000
21 61 Laredo Lomas Del Sur Regional Park $750,000 $750,000
26 60 Leon Valley Forest Oaks Pool Renovation $725,852 $725,852
27 58 Live Oak Main City Park $402,770  
28 58 Brownsville La Posada Redevelopment Project $750,000  
29 58 Flower Mound Leonard and Helen Johns Community Park $750,000  
30 55 Palacios Seagull Shores Park $750,000  
31 54 Mineral Wells West City Park $731,808  
32 54 Pearland Independence Park Phase 2 - Amenity Lake $412,500  
33 53 Kemah Kemah 57-Acre Nature Facility $750,000  
34 54 Royse City Creekshaw Park $750,000  
35 53 Mount Vernon Little Creek Park Phase II $550,000  
36 51 Tyler Golden Road Park $750,000  
37 51 Granite Shoals Quarry Park Improvements $749,430  
38 51 Brownwood Fisk Art Park $750,000  
39 50 Galveston County Jack Brooks Park Archery Range $199,520  
40 46 Kaufman Kings Fort Park $750,000  
41 49 Progreso Progreso Outdoor Play, Recreation, and Learning $499,100  
42 49 Maverick County Elm Creek All Abilities Park $382,622  
43 48 Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District Twin Creeks Preserve Acquisition $750,000  
44 47 Hidalgo Hidalgo Nature Channel Park $738,309  
45 47 Fairfield City Park $200,000  
46 45 Lockhart Lockhart Aquatics Facility - Phase 2 $750,000  
47 45 Lindale Faulkner Park Baseball Complex $739,750  
48 45 Somerset Schimmel Memorial Park $448,035  
49 42 Matagorda County Matagorda County Parks Renovation and Construction $750,000  
50 42 Los Prados PID Los Prados Park $661,759  
51 42 Gladewater 2025 City of Gladewater Bumblebee Park Splash Pad $150,000  
52 41 Pleasanton Sports Complex Improvement Project $571,320  
53 41 Alamo Alamo Inclusive Sports Complex $745,500  
54 40 Rockdale Fireman's Memorial Park/Bridge Park $495,000  
55 38 Manvel Manvel City Park $750,000  
56 38 Port Aransas Enhancing Port Aransas Pool & Pier Access $674,100  
57 37 McAllen Bentsen Hike & Bike Trail $750,000  
58 37 Bastrop Bastrop Par 3 Golf Course $237,125  
59 34 Fate Fate Station Park $690,800  
60 33 Nacogdoches Clint Dempsey Soccer Complex $122,650  
61 29 Dimmit County Dimmit County Youth Sports Complex $412,500  
Totals $36,782,953 $16,218,355

Commission Agenda Item No. 1
Exhibit C

Small Community Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 74 Live Oak County Longhorn Park $150,000 $150,000
2 72 Henrietta City Park $150,000 $150,000
3 70 Turkey City Park $150,000 $150,000
4 69 Teague 8th Ave Park $150,000 $150,000
5 67 Kemp Kemp City Park $150,000 $150,000
6 63 Spearman Martin Park Inclusive Splashpad $150,000 $150,000
7 62 Yoakum Centennial Park $149,985 $149,985
7 62 Gatesville Sports Complex Phase 2 $150,000 $150,000
9 61 South Padre Island Water Tower Park $150,000 $150,000
10 57 Daingerfield Irvin Park $88,659 $88,659
11 56 Beeville Kohler Park $149,994 $149,994
12 55 Childress Childress Splashpad $150,000 $150,000
13 53 Alvarado George Washington Carver Park $100,003 $100,003
14 52 Gladewater Garland P. Ferguson Park $150,000 $150,000
15 50 Hearne Bob Jones, Ruben Gomez East & Godfrey Parks $110,880  
15 50 Nolanville Neighborhood Park Improvements $149,450  
15 50 Pilot Point Allen Groff Park Playscape $150,000  
18 49 River Oaks McGee Park $78,964  
19 49 Post City Park $150,000  
20 47 Refugio County Bonnie View Community Park $146,531  
21 47 Lowry Crossing Silo Crossing Park $150,000  
22 46 City of Friona City Park II $150,000  
23 44 Mount Enterprise City Park Phase I $149,815  
24 43 Mathis Gonzalo Piaz Park $74,910  
25 42 Cross Plains Cross Plains Butterfly Garden $100,000  
26 41 Hale Center Caudle Park II $62,501  
27 41 Lorenzo City Park $25,302  
28 40 Plains Plains Park $123,262  
29 40 Hughes Springs Spring Creek Park Splashpad $150,000  
30 36 Kilgore Pocket Park $150,000  
31 36 Trinity County Trinity County 'Y' $41,855  
32 33 Cranfills Gap City Park $150,000  
33 32 La Vernia City Park Splash Pad Renovation $150,000  
34 31 Lampasas Hanna Springs II $150,000  
Totals $4,402,111 $1,988,641
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Local Park Grants Funding

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