We know it’s a long shot. We know it’s a long way off, too. But we’re glad to see that U.S. Sen. Trent Lott has signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation for a feasibility study on a proposed interstate from Georgia to Natchez.

While he is no longer Senate majority leader, Lott’s support carries considerable weight in Washington. He has helped push three other interstate projects in Mississippi, including the I-69 project already under construction.

Mississippi &045;&045; and, for that matter, the rest of the region that would be affected by the interstate &045;&045; deserves the attention of national leaders.

The Delta is getting much needed help, and the Appalachian region has long been a recipient of funding for projects to boost the area.

But the Black Belt region, once named for its rich soil but since plagued by poverty, has never quite received the attention or the help it needs. But the needs of this area can’t be ignored any longer.

The interstate proposal comes in part out of the Black Belt Regional Commission, a federal committee set up to do the same kind of work the Appalachian commission did years earlier.

Natchez, while it is not crippled by the kind of poverty seen in Black Belt Alabama, still needs an economic boost, and it can both benefit from the attention given the region and help boost the region at the same time.

We’ll be keeping our eyes on this Interstate legislation &045;&045; and our fingers crossed that lawmakers finally give some attention to southwest Mississippi and Alabama’s Black Belt.