Appalachian Regional Commission awards $500,000 to UT, Knoxville-led partnership
The funding went to the RiverTowns Program which is the heartbeat of the Tennessee RiverLine initiative.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) $500,000 to plan for the expansion of the RiverTowns program to boost economic development through outdoor recreation across 15 counties in Appalachian Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.
The funding came through ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies. Partners include the University of North Alabama, Auburn University, Tishomingo County Tourism Council, Trust for Public Land, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Project partners will conduct an economic impact analysis of the RiverTowns program and generate 14 conceptional designs for new outdoor recreation infrastructure projects. UTK and its partners bring a combined $500,000 of matching funds to this project.
The RiverTowns Program is the heartbeat of the Tennessee RiverLine, a framework for collaboration to achieve a shared vision. Exercising the power of partnerships, the program inspires and empowers a growing network of communities along the 652-mile Tennessee River to work together to celebrate, protect, and activate one of the region’s greatest natural and cultural resources.
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