Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today announced $26,501,705.74 has
been awarded to 32 communities across Tennessee for local parks and
recreation projects as the Governor travels statewide touting
conservation investments.
“From Mountain City to Memphis, our state is blessed with natural beauty
and rich resources,” Lee said. “These investments are critical in
providing outdoor experiences for Tennesseans to enjoy for generations
to come, and I appreciate the Tennessee General Assembly’s partnership
in this effort.”
Funding is made possible through the Local Parks and Recreation Fund
(LPRF). Administered by TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, LPRF
funds may be used for the purchase of land for parks, natural areas,
greenways, and the purchase of land for recreational facilities. LPRF is
a competitive grant program and provides funds via reimbursements for
awarded projects with qualified expenses.
“The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is proud to
assist local leaders across the state with these important projects in
their communities,” TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said. “We look
forward to seeing these projects enhance communities across the state.”
The announcement comes as Lee traveled the state on a Conservation Tour
in September with visits to:
* Seven Islands State Park in Kodak, TN
* Brownfield Project in Bolivar, TN
* Middle Fork Bottoms State Park in Three Way, TN
* Booker T. Washington State Park in Chattanooga, TN
* Mousetail Landing State Park in Linden, TN (Tennessee Serves event)
In the coming years, the Lee administration is committed to furthering
the state’s conservation strategy by building on the recommendations of
public and private stakeholders across Tennessee. The agenda’s goals
include exploring opportunities to improve water infrastructure and
quality, supporting natural areas, expanding safe nuclear energy
production and more.
Grant monies include an award to the City of Winchester.
$475,000 has been awarded to the City of Winchester for improvements at
City Park. The project includes lighting for the ball fields and
ADA-compliant restrooms.
“These improvements to our ball fields will provide more opportunities
for children to be active and have fun,” said State Rep. Iris Rudder,
R-Winchester. “These upgrades will help ensure that even more people can
continue to enjoy the wonderful amenities that we have right here in
Winchester. I appreciate the dedicated work of everyone involved in
securing this substantial investment for our community and I look
forward to seeing these projects completed.”
“Parks are a very important part of our communities,” said State Sen.
Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma. “I am very pleased these funds are
available to improve our local parks which serve as wonderful outdoor
spaces for our residents, improve the quality of life for our citizens,
and promote outdoor activity. I congratulate our local officials who
were instrumental in helping secure these funds.”
