Restoring Cypress Grove boardwalk, Jackson's parks department applies for grant
The City of Jackson's Recreation and Parks Department has restoration plans for the city's most unique and visited park, Cypress Grove.
The 265-acre nature park has been a gem of Jackson since 1984, attracting nearly 20,000 visitors in 2024, both locally and from around the world. With more than one mile of elevated boardwalk embedded amongst tall trees and a variety of animal and insect species, the park features an observation tower overlooking Wood Duck Lake and a raptor center.
On Monday, the parks staff held a public input meeting to discuss its plans for phase two of the boardwalk's reconstruction, a section of which has been closed for a decade.
"Input is vital for our grant, the state and the federal government want to know that they are investing dollars in something the community wants," Park Operations Manager Christi David said. "We know the community wants Cypress boardwalk fixed. We have had plenty of input from social media, and anytime there's something going, anytime there's a post about Cypress, people are very quick to let us know what they would like to see out here. So we have no doubt that this is something the public wants [and] this is something we want as well."
More: Walkways at Cypress Grove Nature Park to be rebuilt by TDEC grant funding
More: Jackson Parks and Recreation to develop master plan, prioritize disability access
More: City council moves forward with infrastructure project list for bond issue
In September 2024, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation awarded the parks department a $392,000 grant through its Recreational Trails Program, which will be used in the first phase of repairing 1,300-linear feet of run-down boardwalk.
In its newest grant opportunity through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, the parks department can receive a maximum of $451,550, with a 50% match required by the city. The current boardwalk is made of wood, which has expanded and deteriorated over time due to flood waters.
David says, if awarded the grant, they hope to rebuild the closed section with composite.
The grant would fund the boardwalk section of Jewelweed Trail to Killdeer Pond, restoring the loop that surrounds the raptop center and connecting back to the main boardwalk leading to Wood Duck Lake.
David estimates that reconstructing the boardwalk in its entirety will take upwards of $7 million, but the parks department will continue applying for grants to help fund each phase.
"Not just the loop is important, I think the entire boardwalk is important at this point," she said. "Now we have data that shows almost 20,000 visitors last year alone with the boardwalk in the shape that it's in. We can't imagine what the future of Cypress is when it's repaired and when it becomes the shining jewel that it once was."
Consideration of the grant will be discussed at the Mar. 4 city council meeting and additional public input will be sought via virtual feedback on Mar. 11 ahead of the grant submission deadline in April.
Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Cypress Grove seeks grant funding, phase two of boardwalk restoration
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