April 16, 2026
FY 27 Handshake Partnership and Community Led Recreation Program Request for Nominations, SUSP: 31 July 2026
Please see the memorandum, signed by Stephen L. Hill, Director of Operations and Regulatory Programs, that announces the call for proposals for the FY 27 Handshake Partnership Program and the new Community Led Recreation Program funding. The focus of these programs is to aggressively advance the goals of the "Sustaining Access to Recreation Facilities" program and the "Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork" initiative.

This funding opportunity prioritizes proposals that delegate some management to others, leverages cost-sharing agreements and utilizes hiring flexibilities to reduce long-term staffing and operational costs. We are seeking partners who can operate facilities and deliver services more efficiently, allowing USACE to focus its resources on its core missions.

The Handshake program is in its twenty-fourth year and offers an additional funding source (i.e., seed money up to $50,000 per project) to USACE facilities for worthwhile partnership projects. Proposals must demonstrate clear cost- savings and support partnerships that include a challenge cost-sharing cooperative management partner, a conservation corps, or an Army Career Skills/DoW SkillBridge participant, alongside at least one other non-federal entity. Proposed projects should support activities that enhance recreation facilities and/or natural resources at USACE Civil Works projects.

Additionally, offices are invited to apply for Community Led Recreation funding (up to $200,000) to support the transition of recreation areas to external partners through outgrants or leases. This program is designed to reduce the government's financial footprint by transferring operational control and associated costs. Funding may also be used for one-time improvements to make a site viable for a partner and to cover the administrative costs of the property transfer, thereby creating self-sustaining recreation areas at lower long-term costs to the taxpayer.

Electronic applications with district and MSC coordination must be sent from the MSCs to Mr. Jared Gagnon, jared.s.gagnon@usace.army.mil, representative on the Partnership Advisory Committee, NLT 31 July 2026.

The memo, application instructions, and applications are included in this e- mail and will be posted on the NRM Gateway Handshake Program page at https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/ employees/handshake/handshake.cfm

Handshake Program webinars will be conducted:

Please support and encourage the widest participation in this program that will represent a broad range of projects.

You may also reach out to your division Partnership Advisory Committee member if you have any questions: (NAD-Jared Gagnon; SAD- Cassie Cross; MVD-Breanna Trovillion; LRD-Mike McCoy; SWD-Ariana Jacinto; SPD-Taylor Baughn; NWD- Keith Hyde)

Heather Burke
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
National Partnerships and Volunteer Program Manager

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