National Park Service Awards Matching Grant For Dade County Community Forest
Submitted article.
Editor’s note: As a slight adjustment to this announcement, Noel Durant with Trust for Public Land noted that while Dade has been selected for this grant, TPL must provide supporting documentation to the National Park Service before the project is awarded the grant.
Dade County, Georgia, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support the creation of the Dade County Community Forest, a transformative 660-acre project aimed at enhancing outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, and economic growth in the region.
The LWCF grant is a major milestone in the development of the Community Forest, providing critical funding to help protect and improve access to the area’s natural beauty. The project, led by Trust for Public Land (TPL) in partnership with Dade County, will feature hiking and biking trails, outdoor education spaces, and other recreational amenities that complement nearby attractions like Cloudland Canyon State Park.
The full project cost for the Dade County Community Forest is approximately $1.82 million, with additional funding anticipated from state and federal sources like the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and private philanthropic contributions. The Dade County Commission has already committed $500,000 in local matching funds to support the initiative.
This is the first LWCF grant in the history of Dade County.
“This is a win for our entire community,” said Dade County Commission Chairman Don Townsend. “The Dade County Community Forest will not only preserve the scenic beauty of our region but will also create new opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy our region in new ways.”
The grant application received strong support from local, state, and federal officials, including U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose office actively advocated for the funding.“I’m proud to support this investment in Dade County’s future,” said Rep. Greene. “This funding will ensure that generations of families can experience and enjoy the great outdoors while driving tourism and economic benefits to the community. I commend the Dade County Commission and Trust for Public Land for their partnership in making this project a reality.”
“The Dade County Community Forest will provide a lasting legacy of conservation, and I do not believe there is a project more deserving of the National Park Service’s investment,” said State Representative Mike Cameron, who represents this area in the Georgia Legislature. “We’re grateful to TPL and the National Park Service for seeing the remarkable potential of this vision.”
ABOUT TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND. Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, and raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors. In Tennessee, TPL has protected over 21,000 acres while connecting nearly 30,000 people to a park within a 10-minute walk. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
