More than two years ago, representatives from the Piney Woods Conservation Group and other officials gathered at the Highway 42 boat ramp at Chain Park in Hattiesburg to announce the completion of Phases 2 through 5 of the Pinebelt Blueways, a 52.3-mile route that offers options for kayaking, canoeing, tubing and other recreation on the Leaf and Bouie Rivers.
That project just got another boost, as officials recently released the details of a $480,000 grant from the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Grant Program that will improve public access to the Leaf River via Sims Road in southeast Hattiesburg. That announcement was made during an October 10 news conference at the Sims Road Boat Ramp, located on the south side of Sims Road, which runs across the Leaf River from Old Highway 49 in Hattiesburg to Old River Road in Petal.
The conference was presided over by officials from the City of Hattiesburg, the City of Petal, Visit Hattiesburg, the Piney Woods Conservation Group, the Forrest County Board of Supervisors and Hattiesburg-area legislative delegation.
“Hattiesburg has always been in a key position, being at the junction of two rivers, to use waterways to its advantage,” Mayor Toby Barker said. “Having citizen leadership (from these officials) to preserve, protect and enhance these natural resources and recreation was important.
“One of those needs that was identified was a safe and publicly available waterway access in the south part of the city, right here at Sims Road.”
In particular, the grant funding will help reconstruct the Sims Road Boat Ramp at a standard slope. In addition, the project – which is expected to cost slightly more than $700,000 – will include the addition of three pavilion picnic areas, vehicle and trailer parking, boat and kayak launches designed for fluctuating water levels, a path to the water that is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a cleared landing for anglers.
At completion, the access point will allow for a 9.6-mile route, the Middle Leaf Route, along the Pinebelt Blueways.
“After completing its five-year strategic plan, Visit Hattiesburg new that its mission was to develop Hattiesburg into a year-round outdoor destination, including providing visitors and locals convenient access to atrractions,” said Marlo Dorsey, director of Visit Hattiesburg. “One of the top travel trends we’ve seen following the COVID-19 pandemic is eco-tourism, where people are looking for authentic experiences using a community’s natural resources, and this addition to the Pinebelt Blueways will strengthen Hattiesburg’s regional visitor draw.
“It has taken years of many partners, both in the public and private sectors, working together to make this project become a reality, and we could not be more thrilled to see yet another win for the city’s great outdoor recreation offerings.”
The site will be maintained and managed through the City of Hattiesburg’s Parks and Recreation Department. Lighting and security cameras will be installed to discourage vandalism and other crime, and routine patrols will be conducted by the Hattiesburg Police Department.
After construction, the park and pathway will be gated and closed from dusk until dawn to prevent loitering.
The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Grant Program was created by the Mississippi Legislature last year via House Bill 606. The program was designed to establish a funding mechanism to encourage investment in outdoor recreation and conservation projects at the state and local levels, including improvement of state parks and trails, access to public waters and wetland conservation.
In addition to the grant funding, this project is supplemented by contributions through the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, Visit Hattiesburg and the Piney Woods Conservation Group. Engineering designs for the application were completed by Neel-Schaffer.
The design phase for the project will begin immediately.
The Pinebelt Blueways stretches from Jones County to Perry County, with numerous routes and boat ramps located along the way.
The Upper Bouie Route of the Pinebelt Blueways is 5.7 miles long and runs down U.S. 49 past Rawls Springs toward Hattiesburg, while the Lower Bouie Route is 7.8 miles long and runs in the direction of downtown Hattiesburg. The 10.8-mile Upper Leaf Route runs south of Laurel into Petal.
The Middle Leaf Route is 9.6 miles long and runs south of Petal and connects to the 18.4-mile-long Lower Leaf Route, which runs to New Augusta.
Access points on the Pinebelt Blueways include but are not limited to north of Rawls Springs on U.S. 49; Pep’s Point Road; Monroe Road and Church Street off Exit 73; the Highway 42 Bypass south of Evelyn Gandy Parkway; Glendale Avenue; Sims Road; and Buck Creek Road.
Several signs and mile markers along the Pinebelt Blueways help keep visitors on course and educate them about the natural habitats and wildlife along the route. The water current flows south and includes several sandbars along the way.
Vegetation along the path includes river birch, bald cypress, cardinal flower, spruce pine and river oak. Wildlife that can be seen along the blueways includes wall-tail kites, water moccasins, pearl darters, bald eagles and yellow-blotched sawback turtles.
“What a great day,” Petal Mayor Tony Ducker said. “I remember when I first got into office, someone said ‘we could get a lot more done if we work together,’ and you see this in action here.
“I’m really proud of the part of the part that Petal played into this. I know the vision growing out for this, and this is a great foothold to the bigger plans that we’ve got for this area.”
The Piney Woods Conservation Group, which developed the Pinebelt BLUEWAYS, is a nonprofit conservation organization that is dedicated to conserving, promoting and protecting the open spaces and green places of environmental or scenic significance in Forrest, Lamar, Perry, Jones and Covington counties. For more information on the blueways or the organization, visit www.pinebeltblueways.com.
“Now, we’ve got public access at multiple points … to get people out on the water,” said Shawn Harris, board president for the conservation group. “We feel that outdoor recreation leads to conservation.
“We want you to be out and enjoying our public places, and we want to thank the people who preserve and protect them.”
