FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2007
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124

RTP grant will be used to improve nature trails at Plymouth Bluff Center
  
COLUMBUS, Miss. – The experience of walking on nature trails at the Plymouth Bluff Center will soon be enhanced thanks to a grant funded by the Federal Highway Commission through the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
   
Mississippi University for Women recently received notice of the approval of an application for a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant of $75,000 in reimbursable funds. The grant will require some matching funds from MUW.
   
According to Dr. Harry Sherman, coordinator of public programs at the Plymouth Bluff Center, the total length of the trail system is 3.33 miles, including 2.45 miles of native trails and 0.88 miles with asphalt surface.
   
The funds provided by the RTP grant will be used to add a crushed limestone surface to some of the native trail, to construct new footbridges or boardwalks over drainage areas and to widen or lengthen some existing footbridges and replace a number of deteriorated crossties in the steps that lead down to the floodplain along the river.
   
Trails at Plymouth Bluff are designed for short hikes and provide access to some of the best scenery in Lowndes County, Sherman said, adding they also represent an outdoor classroom for school groups as well as the general public.
   
The proposed improvements will include numbered stations keyed to interpretive information in an illustrated trail pamphlet, and new signs will indicate directions and mileage for trail users.
   
“When completed, the proposed improvements to the Plymouth Bluff trail system will provide a more pleasant and safer walking experience for users and facilitate routine maintenance,” Sherman said. “Easier access will be provided for handicapped users and for emergencies.”
   
Volunteer labor of adult participants in Boy Scout Wood Badge training and other Friends of the Bluff will provide some of the matching funds required for the RTP grant.
   
The Plymouth Bluff Center has had a long association with the Pushmataha Area Scout Council, with more than 25 Eagle Scout Service projects along the existing trail. These projects have included footbridges, rest areas, steps, trail signs and rope fences. Girl Scout units and 4-H Clubs also will be encouraged to consider service projects at the Bluff.
   
The Plymouth Bluff Center is operated by MUW on a sylvan, 190-acre riverfront site, which contains an important Cretaceous fossil. This beautiful tranquil setting has 24 air-conditioned guest rooms, accommodations for catered dining and a tennis court. Specializing in environmental education, the facility has a state-of-the-art conference center, making it an ideal setting for retreats, workshops and meetings. For more information, call (662) 241-6214.