Newsroom

The Tennessee State Museum invites visitors to discover the people, places, and traditions behind Tennessee pottery with the new exhibition, Pottery from the Collection. Now open in the Museum’s Art Before 1900 gallery, the exhibition draws from the Museum’s extensive ceramics collection, the largest public collection of Tennessee ceramics.

Tennessee State Parks dedicated Buffalo River State Park last Friday, formally welcoming 448 acres of rolling pastures and wooded hillsides in Wayne County along the scenic and biodiverse Buffalo River as the state’s 69th state park.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has completed the 2026 Aviation Economic Impact Study (AEIS), detailing how aviation drives economic growth across Tennessee. Using the most recent available data, the AEIS quantifies the economic contributions from Tennessee’s 76 public-use airports and off-airport air cargo to communities statewide. The findings show aviation generates $53.8 billion in annual economic activity, supports 236,000 jobs with nearly $18 billion in payroll and contributes 9% of Tennessee’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

At the request of Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Cameron Sexton and local officials, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is forming a Plateau Water Planning Partnership to assist communities, local governments and water utilities in the elevated tableland of the Upper Cumberland as they evaluate opportunities to strengthen their water supply for current and future water needs. 

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) welcomes Stoke Haus Brewing & Barbecue in Nashville as the newest member of the Tennessee Sustainable Spirits (TNSS) Program. The voluntary recognition and technical assistance program helps Tennessee wineries, wine growers, breweries, and distilleries reduce environmental impacts and operating costs associated with energy and natural resource use.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Tennessee State Parks will seek community input during public meetings held across the state in the coming weeks on individual strategic management plans for 12 state parks. All Tennessee State Parks have strategic management plans that map out a long-term blueprint for best serving visitors.

Tennessee recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month, highlighting resources and support for survivors through statewide programs, hotlines, counseling, advocacy, and shelter services.

Tennessee State Parks on Wednesday dedicated Dry Branch State Park, celebrating a major milestone in one of the state’s most significant conservation success stories. The dedication welcomes the Dry Branch State Natural Area into the Tennessee State Parks system as its 68th state park while ensuring the land retains all protections associated with its State Natural Area designation.

A multi-year effort to protect one of the Cumberland Trail’s most significant and distinctive landscapes has reached a major milestone with the acquisition of approximately 350 acres at Devil’s Racetrack. The $2.45 million acquisition secures the property for the Cumberland Trail and protects the dramatic Devil’s Racetrack geologic formation for future generations.

Officials managing the $42 million Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Natural Resource Damages Restoration Fund will begin accepting requests for proposals next month for the second round of grants to help restore natural resources at the Superfund site. The grant application period opens Oct. 19, 2026, with submissions due by 4 p.m. CST Jan. 22, 2027.