The recreation department hopes to secure a $880,000 grant to repave the parking lot at Charles Younger Landing, with supervisors agreeing to offer a 25% match to raise the county’s chances of receiving the funding.

During its regular meeting Monday, the board granted Recreation Director Jennifer Claybrook to apply for the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund grant, which must be completed by Sept. 18.

“Even though the MOSTF does not require a local match, all of the 20 projects awarded last year all had a match,” Claybrook told the board. “So we are requesting a 25% county match, which is approximately $220,000. This could help us leverage the $660,000 in outside funding.”

The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund grant program aims to invest in outdoor recreation and conservation projects. The current round of grants is expected to be awarded early next year.

If the county receives the grant, Claybrook said the project would need to be completed by April 2029.

Located on West Plymouth Road just next to the west bank of Stennis Lock and Dam, the Charles Younger Landing is a popular boat ramp for boaters and fishermen to access the waterway, District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks told The Dispatch on Thursday.

Both the Charles Younger Landing and West Lowndes Landing, known colloquially as Leroy’s Landing after Brooks, are located in District 5

“The Charles Younger boat ramp takes you to a different part of the waterway,” he said. “In other words, you can’t go to Leroy’s Landing and get there. So Charles Younger boat ramp takes you to a different part, and that’s the reason it’s become kind of a popular (spot) for people who like to get on the water and like to fish.”

Brooks said the county does what it can to maintain the parking lot at the Charles Younger boat ramp, but supervisors would prefer to reserve local tax funds for road paving, making grant funding a better option for the project.

“That’s real important to me because it enhances the quality of life,” he said. “… I know there are a lot of people that like to be on the water. So to have access to the water (and) be able to put their boats in (is important).”

Leroy’s Landing was temporarily closed in 2024 after a piece of industrial equipment fell from a trailer and damaged the ramp. It reopened about a month later.

Brooks said he hasn’t fielded any complaints about the conditions at the landing in months.

“What we do is, we just monitor it very closely because the water does rise or sometimes debris will get in the way or sometimes things will crack off down there, but people still have access,” he said.

If there are any problems with the landing, Brooks expects he’ll hear sooner rather than later.

“I promise you this, whenever there’s a problem that hinders people from getting in the water, they’ll call me,” he said.

McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.