Ardmore Awarded $50,000 State Grant to Launch Parks and Recreation Department

State Representative Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski) has announced that the City of Ardmore will receive $50,000 in state funding to establish its first-ever parks and recreation department and hire a full-time director.

The grant will be administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) through the Tennessee Recreation Initiative Program (TRIP). The funding was approved as part of the 2025-26 state budget, passed by members of the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this year.

Doggett praised the effort, calling Ardmore a deserving recipient due to its strong community spirit and potential for recreational development. He credited local leaders for their work in securing the grant and expressed optimism about the department’s future impact on the city’s quality of life.

The TRIP program is designed to help cities and counties that lack a formal parks and recreation structure by providing resources to build comprehensive recreation programs and hire dedicated staff.

TDEC has distributed more than $22 million this year through the TRIP, Local Parks and Recreation Fund, and the Recreational Trails Program, benefiting 33 communities across the state.

Rep. Doggett represents District 70 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, which includes Giles County and parts of Lawrence and Lincoln counties.