To help provide opportunities for public recreation, environmental conservation, resilience and sustainability as Nashville grows, the Greenways and Open Space Commission is accepting applications on a biannual basis for grant support of projects that demonstrably preserve open space and natural resources in Davidson County.
The Conservation Assistance Fund – a key recommendation of the Mayor's Livable Nashville Committee – is designed to accelerate protection of open space and natural areas by leveraging partnerships with conservation NGOs. Established nonprofits working in the land-conservation space are encouraged to partner with both landowners and the Metropolitan Government on projects for targeted acquisitions and protective easements. The goal is to protect public and private lands that have documentable merits for environmental conservation and/or open-space preservation, and will therefore help maintain Nashville’s livability and sustainability for current and future generations.
Qualifying projects for grant funding should address priority conservation strategies for Metro, such as: preserving scenic view-sheds, supplying buffer-zones to current public-park assets, or protecting critical wildlife corridors, agricultural properties, or sensitive habitats (i.e., grasslands, ridgelines, floodplain).
Areas of Davidson County currently affected by substantial deficits in available parkland or open space are documented in:
- Plan To Play, the Metro Parks and Greenways Strategic Master Plan
- Davidson County’s Open Space Master Plan
Biannual application deadlines for candidate projects are March 15 and September 15.