What We Do

The NPS-Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS-RTCA) created the Groundwork program in the 1990s in response to the growing demand for support in urban areas challenged by vacant and contaminated lands, historical disinvestment, and limited opportunities for neighborhoods to shape land use activities.

NPS-RTCA partners with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization to support the national nonprofit Groundwork USA and 21 locally-led nonprofits – known as Groundwork Trusts – who engage community residents, especially youth, in projects and programs to improve their physical and social environment. Each Groundwork Trust tailors its projects and programs to meet local needs, build capacity, and achieve goals their community finds worthy of investment.

NPS-RTCA works with Groundwork USA on the selection, planning, and launch of new Groundwork Trusts, and to provide ongoing funding and capacity building support for the network of Trusts.

Image designed by the National Park Service

Approved Groundwork Trusts have access to a wide range of resources including:

• Use of the Groundwork USA logo, tagline, and mission statement to lend credibility and generate support;
• Access to peer learning opportunities, climate and land use programming and funding, and nonprofit expertise;
• $450,000 in seed funding, granted in installments of $100k, $100k, $100k, $100k, $50k over a period of five or more years.

At a Glance

Groundwork accomplishments from 2000-2022 include:

• 961 acres of brownfield and derelict lands reclaimed and/or improved
• 3,367 local schools involved
• 4,728 jobs created
• 11,623 community partners engaged in projects
• 14,276 acres open spae and pakrland improved
• 139,385 youth actively engaged
• 1,091,688 community volunteer hours
• 8,300,829 feet of river habitat cleaned, restored or conserved
• $156,227,230 public, private and in-kind resources leveraged

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