Interview - Positively Green

UP FRONT Arts, Culture and Personalities

people

Current

Positively Green Larry Jarrett, DeSoto County Greenways coordinator, shares the secrets behind Mississippi’s only greenways initiative Interview by CASEY HILDER

Click magazine | APRIL 2014 11

up front

F

ew know the relaxing roads of North Mississippi like Larry Jarrett, coordinator of DeSoto

County Greenways and the man responsible for pushing the area toward a greener and more walkable future.

Click Magazine: Tell me a little bit about your personal background and how you got involved with DSC. Larry Jarrett: I’ve been involved with real estate and conservation Issues for many years. During the Real Estate downturn, the industrial real estate market was flat so I decided to pursue a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies focusing on environmental policy and sustainability. In Mississippi, we have a repetitive cycle: small communities or towns losing factories along with farmland and forestland being converted into developments sites that sometimes do not sell. As a lifetime conservationist, I wanted to help break that cycle and I also wanted to promote land conservation, so I figured the best way to do that would be to tie-in or demonstrate the economic benefits conservation can provide a community.

Integrating our natural assets and our environmental stewardship responsibilities into an economic development action plan will increase our chances of attracting talent or successfully marketing our state, while making a better place for all of us to live, work, and raise our families. A plan that involves resources such as parks, greenways, rivers, forest and agricultural land— our “natural capital”—provides added economic benefits, while enhancing 12 APRIL 2014 | Click magazine

Mississippi’s image. This is especially true with our public lands, which can provide more economic benefits in the long term by restoring native habitats, promoting cultural heritage, protecting watersheds and promoting tourism and recreational uses of land.

CM: How did this initiative get started?

LJ: It started in 2005 when Leadership DeSoto came up with the idea of a greenways plan with the concept and ideas. It was kicked around for a few years before the county graciously granted us some seed money. With that, I came on in 2008 and since then I’ve been implementing the system, inchby-inch, mile-by-mile.

CM: Can you give me a short overview of the scenic byways and trail system that’s currently established?

LJ: We’re averaging one new community park a year, which makes it a very aggressive program. Since, 2008, we’ve built the ARK trails, a 154-acre pathway formed in conjunction with Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. That’s also where we’ve planned to build a nature center, which is still in the works. There’s also a two-mile walking and hiking trail which has come together nicely. In addition, we’ve

added a number of on-street bike lanes throughout the county such as The Great River Road scenic byway in Tunica County and The Lake and Back down Robertson Gin Road through Hernando.

We’ve also worked on improving existing parks, as well, with walking trails and playground equipment being added to parks that were once just ball fields.

CM: What do you think is the most important thing a greenways program like this brings to the community?

LJ: Increasingly, people have begun to recognize a variety of roles beyond recreational trails that greenways perform.

What do you think are some of the most important roles that greenways can perform for a community or region?

One aspect of quality of life is a location with convenient access to natural settings, recreational and cultural opportunities, and natural areas. Greenways, rivers, and walking trails can play an important role in increasing a community’s quality of life, and are attractive to businesses and corporations. Office site locations adjacent to rivers, trails and greenways are also likely to be more attractive to prospective tenants than sites lacking such amenities. Developers and property managers recognize these amenities and the fact that greenways provide a venue for regular

"A plan that involves resources such as parks, greenways, rivers, forest and agricultural land — our “natural capital” — provides added economic benefits, while enhancing Mississippi’s image."

exercise which promotes good health.

Studies show that natural, recreational and lifestyle amenities are vital in attracting knowledge workers and supporting leading technology firms and industries. Key community factors attracting new residents and businesses are open space amenities, access to outdoor recreation, clean environment and aesthetic appeal.

CM: About how much land does the current greenway system occupy?

LJ: We’re sitting at roughly 300 acres of pure parkland, including the Corps of Engineers land at Arkabutla. If you add Olive Branch, Southaven and the Horn Lake Creek area, it goes up to more than 500 acres. Horn Lake is a particular area of interest in that we’re not exactly looking to develop it, just protect

it. There are a lot of old tribal lands out there worth studying.

CM: Is there anything big planned for the month of April?

LJ: For April, we’re hosting a Heart Healthy Health Fair in collaboration with Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto on the 5th and for Earth Day, we’re hosting a countywide outdoor photography contest for residents. Later in the summer, we’ll be hosting our third annual Environmental Education Workshop for DeSoto County teachers. It’s a four-day program that focuses on watershed education, GIS systems and more.

CM: How would you say Mississippi’s greenway system stacks up against others in the country such as Memphis or Austin?

Click magazine | APRIL 2014 13

LJ: We’ve got a ways to go. The Memphis Greenline is a huge project that the city has spent $80 million putting together.

We don’t have quite as much funding to work with, but the potential is there.

But when it comes to the system itself, support from the county and a progressive attitude, I’d say we’re ahead.

CM: Is there anything special or unique about DeSoto County’s greenway system that locals might not be familiar with?

LJ: I’m constantly amazed at the people who don’t know we have a greenway system or what it’s about after five or six years. It’s a great place to picnic or go fishing. There’s so many great resources, including the Mississippi River Park, out there for anyone who wants to check it out. It’s a great resource. Many people don’t even know there’s a full park and walking trail right behind the local fire station in Hernando.

CM: What are some ways that area residents can get involved in volunteer efforts? Is there an area of immediate need?

LJ: Right now, we need volunteers to help with the kids’ camp this summer.

Interested parties can check our website or social media pages for information on how to sign up. There’s a volunteer form to fill out that works off of points of interest.

CM: What is your personal favorite spot along the greenway?

LJ: I’m a walker, not too big on hiking, so I’d say it’s a tossup between the Coldwater Nature Trail at Arkabutla and the ARK Trail.

CM: What would you say, in your opinion, is the ideal way to travel the greenway?

LJ: The full experience would be to walk or ride the entire series of trails west to east. Most of the trails are a quarter mile and don’t take too long to traverse.

Early morning or late evening are good times to visit because that’s when you get the good scenery, good weather and a little wildlife out there.

14 APRIL 2014 | Click magazine