Haslam Awards $1.2 Million in Recreational Trails Program Grants
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau announced over $1.2 million in Recreational Trails Program grants to recipients across Tennessee today.
“Maintaining and improving our parks and recreation areas helps provide healthy ways for Tennesseans to get out and enjoy their communities,” Haslam said. “We want to continue to make our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family, and projects like these are key to making that a reality.”
The Recreational Trails Program is a federally funded program established to distribute funding for diverse recreation trail projects. The funds are available to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations that have obtained IRS 501 (c)(3) status and have a written trail management agreement with the agency that owns the property where the trail project is located.
Recreational Trails Program grants may be used for non-routine maintenance and restoration of existing trails, development and rehabilitation, trailside or trailhead facilities such as restrooms, kiosks and parking lots, construction of new trails and land acquisition for recreational trails or corridors.
“We have truly enjoyed working alongside these communities that are creating new facilities, or enhancing the recreational amenities already in place,” said Commissioner Martineau. “These investments in our local communities help improve the quality of life for all Tennesseans, and the outdoors even more accessible for all to enjoy.”
Funding for RTP grants is provided by the Federal Highway Administration through the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation administers this grant program for the state. The maximum federal share for each project is 80 percent, with RTP grant recipients providing a 20 percent match.
Grant recipients were selected through a scoring process with careful consideration given to the projects that met the selection criteria and expressed the greatest local recreation need.
To learn more about the RTP grant program and other recreation or conservation-based grant programs available in the future, please visit https://tn.gov/environment/recreation/grants.shtml. For more information about the RTP grant program, contact Gerald Parish at 615-532-0538 or Gerald.Parish@tn.gov.
A complete list of the grants announced today follows.
2014 Recreational Trails Program Grants
County | Name of the Recipient Organization | Grant Amount | Brief Project Description |
Bradley | Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical Society | $200,000 | To develop trails, trailhead parking and trails signs |
Cumberland | Cumberland Mountain State Park | $200,000 | To develop trails of 2,000 linear feet of 5’ wide and trailhead parking |
Franklin | Tims Ford State Park | $42,000 | To renovate water trail campsite, to develop backcountry campsite and trail reroute/rehab |
Gibson | City of Milan | $200,000 | To build 7,500 linear feet by 10 feet wide paved trail, trailhead and trailside amenities |
Lake | Reelfoot Lake State Park | $180,000 | To pave trail with physical activity areas, restroom ADA compliance, trailhead parking and trailside amenities |
Monroe | Cherokee National Forest, Tellico District | $200,000 | To develop trails, four trailhead parking areas, trail signs, and a trail bridge |
Putnam | City of Monterey | $90,000 | To develop 1,305 linear feet of 10’ wide paved trail from the library to Burke Middle School |
Sumner | City of Portland | $94,000 | To develop 3,000 linear feet of 8’wide gravel trail, 10,000 linear feet of 3’ wide natural surface trail, trailhead parking and signs |
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