Tennessee governor bets big on state parks
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: courtesy of Gov. Bill Lee
Welcome to the first installment of Tennessee Trailheads: This week, each edition of Axios Nashville will explore a different aspect of the parks where we picnic and play.
- Subscribe to Axios Nashville here for the next installment.
Tennessee state parks are in the midst of a historic growth spurt, with Gov. Bill Lee set to add a record 14 new locations to the roster before leaving office.
Why it matters: Outdoor recreation has quietly emerged as one of the Lee administration's signature issues. Since becoming governor in 2019, Lee has launched a bevy of new projects aimed at elevating and expanding the park system.
What he's saying: In an exclusive Axios interview earlier this year, Lee said he felt a duty to preserve Tennessee's lush natural landscape, including parks, rivers and farmland.
- "When you serve in this role, you think about what you hope lasts," he said.
- "We do have a duty to generations that will come. We have a duty to provide them with the same remarkable environment that we inherited. In fact, I believe we have a duty to improve that."
Between the lines: He draws inspiration from his childhood visits to Fall Creek Falls and canoe rides down the Hiwassee River.
The big picture: Lee wants to establish the most accessible park system in the country.
- "It's about making sure that regardless of your ZIP code, your physical ability, your demographics, that you have access to these parks," he said.
The intrigue: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the matter: Visitors flocked to Tennessee parks and campgrounds in record numbers.
Catch up quick: In 2021, Lee announced the Bill Dance Signature Lakes initiative, named after the famed fisherman, that will put millions toward improving 18 lakes across the state.
- The BlueWaysTN program is focused on the state's recreational waterways.
- Last year, Lee created the Office of Outdoor Recreation as a conservation hub. Earlier this month, the office dolled out $22 million in grants to support local park projects.
Reality check: Environmental activists have blasted a series of government moves that they say chip away at environmental protections, including a 2025 state law that reduces oversight for wetland development.
Yes, but: The state has poured millions of dollars into conservation projects during Lee's time in office.
- The latest state budget included $52 million to create five new state parks.
- Lee also pushed a plan to slow the development of Tennessee farmland, putting $25 million toward grants for farmers who preserve their land.
Zoom in: Lee proposed $125 million this year to protect the Duck River, one of the nation's most endangered waterways.
- Lawmakers cut $35 million of that funding before passing the budget.
Zoom out: Former Sen. Bill Frist, the global chair of The Nature Conservancy, recently praised Lee's focus on conservation, saying "investments in nature make a profound difference in the health and wellbeing of generations to come."
The bottom line: "The more urban centers we have, and the more growth we have in the state, the more important it is that there is an opportunity for people to ... have access to wildlife and to waters and to forests," Lee said.
- "There are few things, I think, that are the real responsibilities of government, and this is one of them."
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