This week, reader John Harper is wondering what's going on with a particularly long-awaited nature project.
"I’m curious about the status of the Tunica Hills State Preservation Area being built near St. Francisville," he writes. "It’s been planned since Kathleen Blanco was lieutenant governor and two years ago it received additional funding to construct it."
The Tunica Hills State Preservation Area is an area of stunning natural beauty located near the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in West Feliciana Parish (and is separate from Mississippi's Clark Creek Natural Area, or Tunica Falls, with which it's often confused). Covering approximately 700 acres, among its highlights is a 170-foot bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.
Plans to develop it have popped up periodically for decades. In fact, mentions of the area were made long before Blanco's time in office.
In 1981, during Gov. David Treen's administration, 3,027 acres of the hills were leased to the Louisiana Office of State Parks with plans to develop it into a Tunica Hills State Preservation Area. It was the beginning of many attempts to develop the area, all of which, for one reason or another, fell flat.
Years ago, signs were encouraging, with a 1984 report in The Advocate noting development plans were "well enough along" for a contractor to be called in.
Plans to develop the Tunica Hills State Preservation Area, in West Feliciana Parish, are underway.
However, another Advocate article five years later sounded an ominous note. "The state's fiscal problems have shelved plans to develop an interpretive center, nature trails and primitive camping facilities for a limited-use recreational area," Advocate reporter James Minton wrote.
The pattern was a sign of things to come. Over the following years, funding was periodically proposed then pulled back, put on the back burner for a variety of financial, political and climate-related reasons. In the mid-1990s, there was even a spat over the ownership of the area, which, to the consternation of preservationists, was nearly claimed by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
After years of silence, in November, the unexpected happened. A $2.6 million federal Economic Development Authority grant to help develop the long-stalled project was announced.
"The Tunica Hills State Preservation Area project is poised to become a regional treasure, boasting a spectacular overlook of the majestic Mississippi River," a release from its backers read. "This panoramic vista will provide visitors with an unparalleled view of one of America's most iconic waterways, creating a destination for nature enthusiasts, tourists, and locals alike."
The grant was announced by Gov. John Bel Edwards, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne and West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard. Central to the project is a covered overlook over the Mississippi River, providing "an unparalleled view of one of America's most iconic waterways." It also provides for miles of new recreational trails, while overnight primitive camping sites will be developed.
So, what now? According to Renee Wilson, executive director of the Saint Francisville Area Foundation, it's a case of watching and waiting.
"It’s a slow process just because we're dealing with new legislature and (state) government, so everybody's got to dot their I's and cross their T's," she said. "Everything is still in process, so it's just a waiting game right now."
Nonetheless, Wilson said she was hoping the first phase of the project would start unfolding by late spring.
"It's been a long time coming for this to get approved and spearheaded, and we're really glad that the grant has been approved," she said. "Unfortunately, I wish it would be a faster process, but when you're dealing with these kinds of things you're always at other people’s mercy."
Waiting is something Tunica Hills' legion of fans and backers are well used to, after all.