Clinton gets conservation grant, five projects planned
By Randy Bell
A state grant will help Clinton develop a citywide plan to encourage outdoor activities and conservation efforts, including walking trails, tree parks and nature education.
The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund (MOSTF) awarded the City $878,000, but a sizeable local match will be needed to complete the five proposed projects. The Board of Aldermen voted at its March 18 meeting to authorize a commitment letter to MOSTF “acknowledging the City of Clinton’s intent to utilize local funds, donations and in-kind contributions” to achieve the $696,000 match.
Mississippi Urban Forest Council Executive Director Donna Yowell applied for the grant on the City’s behalf, with the hope of making Clinton a model city in terms of taking advantage of its natural assets. Yowell says the Council will be promoting what Clinton is doing.
“It’ll be really unique. We’re going to call it our first Conservation City.”
Much of what’s planned will be an expansion of what’s already being done in Clinton, including landscaping, pollinator gardens and arboretum designations.
“One of the key [projects] is adding more walking trails, making it even more of a walkable city,” Yowell says.
But perhaps the highlight will be what she calls “a nature education experience.” Yowell says it won’t be something which duplicates what’s already available at the Clinton Community Nature Center.
“We don’t have a name for it yet. But [it’ll be] more like outdoor movies, glamping, camping, those kinds of things, for families, not just for children,” she says.
According to Yowell, no land acquisitions will be needed.
“We’ll be doing it all on City property.”
She says the five projects represent a comprehensive approach in promoting outdoor activities.
“I think they all sort of intermingle. And when you layer all those things on top of each other, in addition to what Clinton’s already done, it just will make for a really wonderful community,” says Yowell. “And we hope other cities will follow suit.”
Yowell says the benefits to the City may include higher property values, more visitors and increased sales tax revenue.
“It could just enhance everything.”
MOSTF Executive Director Ricky Flynt says Clinton’s grant was one of twenty-eight totaling more than $13.4 million which the Trust Fund’s Board of Trustees recently approved.
“The Legislature has been kind enough to appropriate monies to this Outdoor Stewardship the last three legislative sessions, to tune of $37 million,” Flynt says. “We received $10 million in 2022, $15 million in 2023 and then, in 2024, we got an additional $12 million. We are hoping to get additional appropriations to continue this program, so we can fund more projects in 2025.”
In making the announcement about the grants, Governor Tate Reeves said, “These accomplishments were exactly what I expected when I signed the Outdoor Stewardship Act into law. The MOSTF is benefiting Mississippi communities and supporting jobs. It is exciting to watch these investments improve communities around the state and enhance our state’s $8 billion outdoor recreation economy, which supports more than 79,000 jobs.”
