Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program

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This competitive grant program creates new parks and new recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California.

California State Parks’ Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) is pleased to share updates for the $188.5 million for the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP) Round 5.

SPP aims to create new parks and expand recreation opportunities in critically underserved communities across California. Eligible projects must include development, or a combination of acquisition and development, to create a new park, expand an existing park, or renovate an existing park. 

To explore the impact of SPP, including inspirational videos and “before and after” examples from prior rounds, please visit the program webpage: https://www.parksforcalifornia.org/projects/

 

KEY UPDATES:

A public comment period for the Draft SPP Application (Round 5) Guide will open in May 2026. This process will include two virtual public hearings to gather input on proposed updates, including Proposition 4 requirements. A follow-up notification will be sent when the public comment period officially opens.

Community-Based Planning

  • Applicants may count in-person meetings held after November 5, 2024 (the passage of Proposition 4), toward SPP Round 5 community-based planning requirements.
  • Meetings conducted prior to November 5, 2024, may be included for historical context but will not count toward Round 5 requirements.
  • For previously unfunded SPP Round 4 applications at the same project site, at least two additional meetings are required, ensuring continued alignment with community-driven priorities.  
  • Applicants taking photos/videos during the in-person meetings must retain signed photo/video consent forms that clearly state may be shared with partnering agencies (e.g., California Department of Parks and Recreation) for grant-related purposes.

The Designing Parks Using Community-Based Planning Methods guide is a valuable resource to support applicants throughout this process:

https://parksforcalifornia.org/planning_guide

Additionally, applicants are strongly encouraged to engage with local tribes throughout the community-based planning process to ensure inclusive and representative input. For assistance with tribal outreach, please refer to the following resources:

 

Climate Vulnerable Populations

The focus on Proposition 4 is to strengthen communities through protecting drinking water, reducing wildfire and flood risks, restoring natural places, supporting healthy working lands, and expanding access to parks and outdoor spaces. 

  • To support this focus, the Community FactFinder has been enhanced to include five high-climate vulnerability layers: wildfire, extreme heat, flood, drought and sea level rise.
  • Having these new layers will give applicants an opportunity to visually see what types of climate impacts will affect their community by using the Community FactFinder.
  • These tools allow applicants to better understand local climate risks and incorporate climate-informed solutions into project planning. Climate vulnerabilities, and potential responses, should also be addressed during community-based planning efforts.

 

Technical Assistance

For technical assistance, applicants are encouraged to contact the “Competitive (Application/Pre-Award) Project Officer" based on the county where the project will be located. Please use this link and see appropriate column for contact information: List of Competitive Application Project Officers by County

 

Stay Connected

Additional SPP Round 5 updates, including the public comment launch, application deadline, and technical assistance workshop schedule, will be shared soon.

SPP Park Showcase Videos

Parks California created six inspiring videos showcasing SPP's impact on communities across California. 

More examples of SPP’s legacy can be viewed in “before” and “after” project photos at https://www.parksforcalifornia.org/projects/

 

Grant Guidelines

SPP Final Application Guide Thumbnail

Round 4 Final Application Guide:
Round 4 Application Guide (December 1, 2022)
Use this guide to plan and submit the grant application.  The SPP Team is committed to give technical assistance.  Contact information is below.

 

 

  
Round 4 Application Guide Updates

 

Grant Administration Guide_Competitive Grant Programs September 2020Administration Guide:
Administration Guide (September 2020)
The Administration Guide will be used for grant projects that are selected for funding when grant awards are announced.  It includes a sample grant agreement, the payment process, and accounting/record keeping requirements.

 Grant Administrative Workshop Slides

 


Technical Assistance Documents

SPP Technical Assistance Contacts

For technical assistance, applicants are encouraged to send questions to the “Competitive Grant Application/Pre-Award” Project Officer based on the county where the project is located.  Please use this link:  List of Competitive Application Project Officers by County

SPP Program History

Assembly Bill 31, which created the SPP, was signed into law on September 30, 2008.  SPP statute is found in Public Resources Code §5640 through 5653.  Funding for the grant program was first made available through the Proposition 84 (2006 Bond Act) Sustainable Communities and Climate Change Reduction chapter (Public Resources Code § 75065 (b) (1-5). The program’s legacy continued through Proposition 68 (2018 Bond Act).

  • This competitive program has had four rounds of funding to create new parks and new recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California.  Between all four rounds of funding:
    • $7.69 billion requested – 1,827 project applications
    • $1.2 billion in grants – 313 grant projects

Round Four

Round Three

Rounds One & Two

Project Photo Gallery

In the photo gallery, filter by “Prop. 68 SPP" to view all 182 grant projects between Rounds 3 and 4! The gallery can be found here:www.parksforcalifornia.org/projects