| 316 W. Commerce St. | Hernando, Mississippi | 38632 | 662-429-4414 | fax 429-0952 |  |
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Greenway Update
By David Baker, Fisher & Arnold
It has been a while since we have had any updates regarding the DeSoto County Greenway. I am pleased to report that over the last several months there has been a tremendous amount of activity that is getting us closer to the implementation of the first phase of the county wide Greenway system. There has been a lot of interest in developing the first phase of the Greenway in the western portion of the county from Highway 61 eastwardly along Johnson Creek past Walls Elementary School northward to Twin Lakes Subdivision. This route will contain approximately 12 miles of greenway and will tie into the trail system in Horn Lake’s Latimer Lakes Park for an additional 2 miles of trails. This route will be coordinated with proposed easements utilized by Entergy and DCRUA. This first phase is an example of the goals of the Greenway project, in that it provides interconnectivity to natural features, a public school, a city park, neighborhoods and a historic Indian settlement site along the bluff and Church Road.
The Greenway Advisory Committee is in the process of exploring a partnership with a North Mississippi Land Trust for the purpose of managing the Greenway and also to provide a mechanism to obtain funding through grants or donations. DeSoto County Government is also involved in taking the next step in making the Greenway a reality by providing funding for a Greenway Coordinator working in the County’s Planning Department. The Community Foundation of North Mississippi has also volunteered their assistance to aid in grant writing for the Greenway effort.
We are very excited about the recent interest and activity in developing the first phase of the DeSoto County Greenway. We are also very encouraged by the support of the different organizations and foundations, the corporate and business community and the governmental agencies that are and have been involved in the Greenway project. More importantly, we are very excited to see positive impact this Greenway will have in the community. A positive impact on the community’s health, environment, quality of life and economic growth.