The state of Tennessee will share in $3 million in funds from the USDA to promote rural development

The state of Tennessee will share in $3 million in funds from the USDA to promote rural development. The University of Tennessee will receive $248,821 to support the Tennessee RiverLine Community Planning Initiative, which supports investments in rural communities along the 652-mile Tennessee River. The funds will benefit the city of Clifton as well as Roane, Hardin, and Stewart counties in Tennessee as well as two cities in Alabama and one city and two counties in Kentucky. The funds will expand the Tennessee RiverLine’s capacity to offer planning and programming efforts in nine rural communities without access to local capacity. The community planning initiative and the placemaking project proposals will advance the vision of Tennessee RiverLine and help drive economic development, public health, environmental stewardship, and equitable access across these rural communities.