The National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) selected 12 new communities and partnerships in the southeast to receive technical and planning assistance, including two projects in Tennessee. The assistance provided will promote the development of new outdoor recreation, economic opportunities, and natural resource conservation.

RTCA works with community groups, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and local, state, and federal government agencies to achieve locally-defined goals for natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation. RTCA also connects citizens with local agencies and organizations to create new parks, greenspace, and trails and protect important water resources.

“RTCA has been an invaluable resource for our planning team, assisting us in positive and creative ways, and helping us build the foundation of a multi-sector project with the potential to aid in the recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Maria,” said Soledad Gaztambide-Arandes, Environmental Policy and Government Relations Coordinator for Para la Naturaleza.

RTCA projects include outdoor preservation, rivers conservation, and the development of recreational trails and greenways. The RTCA network of planning professionals, landscape architects, and community planners helps communities across the nation achieve on-the-ground successes. RTCA helps local partners to make their rivers, trails, greenways and open spaces vital, life-enhancing parts of their communities.

“What they did for us was phenomenal,” said Tana Trichel, President, and CEO of the Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance. “We saw the opportunity to help our community in a way that would be long-lasting. Even though it did not address flooding, it addressed critical issues in our region.”

To learn more information about the RTCA program, visit the National Parks Service website.

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