Rutherford County and the City of Murfreesboro have received $250,000 from the Local Parks and Recreation Fund Grants to better the community. The money will be utilized for amenities at the Jordan Farm Soccer Facility in Murfreesboro.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner Bob Martineau announced a series of grants totaling more than $17 million to help fund parks and recreation projects in Tennessee communities. Again in Murfreesboro, the money will be utilized at the Jordan Farm Soccer Facility.

A tract of about 15 acres is being used for soccer practice fields in the near future.

"These grants are very competitive so I applaud our local officials for their hard work on behalf of their communities," Haslam said. "Our goal at the state level is to make Tennessee the very best place to live, work and raise a family, and I want to thank local officials for their partnership in making these grants happen and achieving that goal."

TDEC will award $15.8 million in Local Park and Recreation grants to 55 different communities, as well as $1.9 million in Recreational Trails Program grants for a total of 12 parks and communities across Tennessee.

"Local parks and recreation areas provide opportunities to gather, experience nature and enjoy outdoor activities," Martineau said. "We're grateful to be able to help fund these projects, which will pay dividends for our communities now and in the future."

About the Local Parks and Recreation Fund

The Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant program was established by the General Assembly in 1991 to provide local governments with funds to purchase land for parks, natural areas, greenways and recreational facilities. The funds also may be used for development of trails and projects in parks, natural areas and greenways. All LPRF grants require a 50 percent match by the recipient.

Grant recipients were selected through a scoring process with careful consideration given to the projects that met the selection criteria and expressed the greatest local recreation need.