Local governments were able to obtain 50–50 matching funds for new parks, playgrounds, and open spaces with priority given to the development and improvement of land already in public ownership.
Families, priests, casual tourists and avid outdoorsmen were viewed as having equal stakes in the parks.
To support the initiative, President Nixon asked for increases in funding for open space programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and established the Federal Property Review Board which evaluated federally owned land to determine if the parcels could be converted into parks.
[citation needed] By the late 1970s, over 700,000,000 acres of land had been purchased under the Legacy of Parks program.
Playgrounds, forests, environmental education areas, bike trails, and jogging paths were all strong candidates for funding.