Tennessee will get $1,164,702 for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports outdoor recreation and conservation projects, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced Monday.
The funds are made up of non-taxpayer dollars and come from Outer Continental Shelf lease revenues through produced by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, according to a news release.
The money comes through federal matching grants that leverage public and private investment in state and local public parks, the news release states. It's part of $61.6 million being awarded to the 50 states, the Territories, and the District of Columbia. The funds will go to the state and then the state will decide what projects to spend it on.
This year's distribution of GOMESA revenues is an increase from past years, according to the news release, and this level of funding is expected to continue.
After this year, states will receive GOMESA revenues during the winter and traditional LWCF appropriations during the spring months, the news release states.