Posted On: November 10, 2026

Source: WBBJ; award amounts from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)

Photo: Gray News, via WBBJ

• TDEC presented ceremonial checks for parks, trails and outdoor recreation grants at Jackson State Community College’s Ayers Auditorium
• Bolivar received $3.5 million toward a new indoor pool at the Bolivar Community Center
• Decatur County received $861,749.50 for fairgrounds improvements, and Parsons received $396,750 for a new memorial park

JACKSON, Tenn. (Nov. 10, 2026) – Communities across West Tennessee celebrated state investments in parks, trails and outdoor spaces Tuesday as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation presented ceremonial grant checks at Jackson State Community College’s Ayers Auditorium, WBBJ reported. Recipients included Bolivar, Decatur County, Jackson and Parsons, along with other communities in the region.

“This year we saw the highest number of applications for our grant programs in office of outdoor recreation and also the highest scored projects and applications. So it was a very competitive year for our grants and we’re just so excited to see the projects that come out of this,” said Justine Cucchiara, director of outdoor recreation, according to WBBJ.

According to TDEC’s award list, the City of Bolivar received $3.5 million for a new indoor pool at the Bolivar Community Center, Decatur County received $861,749.50 for improvements at the Decatur County Fairgrounds, and the City of Parsons received $396,750 for a memorial park next to the Parsons Municipal Building and Library. The awards come from the Local Parks and Recreation Fund, with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Grant Opportunity Fund helping rural communities cover part of the local match.

WTIA congratulates Bolivar, Decatur County, Parsons and Jackson on these awards. Quality parks and recreation spaces help West Tennessee communities attract and keep the families and workers that growing employers need.

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