In an effort to transform underutilized properties into hotbeds of potential, Wilson County has just pocketed a cool $20,000 from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, sources confirm.

The money is part of the state's giving spree that saw 36 brownfield sites across Tennessee getting the nod for revamps in July, the grant from TDEC earmarked for the county is a lifeline for properties left vacant and in limbo because of possible contamination issues, and Wilson County is teaming up with the Greater Nashville Regional Council to make the most of it by earmarking the funds to pinpoint and prioritize the sites most in need of a facelift.

As per the announcement, this cash injection is courtesy of the BRAG program, and it's all about turning environmental liabilities into economic assets — with a particular tilt towards rural upliftment.

Citing the farming of BRAG grants, the legislation is a tool aimed at giving local governments and corporations the resources to delve into property histories, scrub away the hazards and buff out the blots on landscapes to shine a new light on old plots and Wilson County is just the latest benefactor of this initiative seeking to marry environmental stewardship with economic propulsion, especially in settings far flung from urban sprawl.

It's an ambitious project led by the Greater Nashville Regional Council, which, established by the Tennessee General Assembly, stands at the helm of regional planning and economic development across a stretch of 13 counties, the goal? To foster a cleaner, greener, and wealthier Middle Tennessee.