A state Department of Land and Natural Resources program is seeking grant applications from nonprofits and state and county agencies to acquire and protect private Hawai'i land.

The Legacy Land Conservation Program may award up to $3 million through a competitive process to projects that acquire property or conservation easements for protecting open space, watersheds, beaches, cultural sites and other "valuable resource" lands.

Nonprofit and county applicants must secure matching funds from elsewhere equivalent to at least 25 percent of total project costs, and the state gets back a share proportional to its grant if land bought under the program is ever resold.

DLNR noted that state budget reductions and uncertainty regarding future revenue could result in few or no awards being issued, but the agency wants to at least solicit applications that can be considered for funding as the financial picture evolves.

Grant applications and more information are available online at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/llcp. The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16.