Washington, DC  -  Congressman Mike Rogers congratulated the citizens of Lee County today for receiving $282,000 in federal grants for construction projects at Smiths Station Park. The funds, administered by the National Park Service, will help construct a new playground picnic area as well as two 200-foot baseball/softball fields.

“The children and citizens of Lee County need safe and secure places to enjoy the outdoors,” Rogers said. “These funds will help pay for improvements in these facilities and ultimately help improve the county’s overall quality of life.”

The grants will originate from the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which helps state and local governments acquire, develop, improve and maintain high quality outdoor recreation areas and open space. The majority of these funds announced today will be distributed to the Lee County Commission.

“I would also like to thank state Senator Gerald Dial and state representative DuWayne Bridges for their assistance with this project,” Rogers added.

Congress enacted the LWCF in 1964 and derives its funding from the receipts from oil and gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf.