NATCHEZ &045; A nonprofit corporation is still being formed to raise private-sector money for recreation improvements.

Meanwhile, recreation proponents are also waiting to see if funding comes from Washington, according to Recreation Director Ralph Tedder.

&uot;We’re getting started on getting (nonprofit) status&uot; for the Friends of the Park Foundation, Tedder said. &uot;But we also may have the opportunity to get some funding from the USDA.&uot;

During a visit to Washington, D.C., last month, Mayor Phillip West presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture several proposed projects for which the city hopes to get funding.

West has said he intends to travel back to Washington this summer with more fine-tuned proposals. West also emphasized that while he received a positive reception from agency, he did not receive any promises of funding.

Still, those proposed projects included establishing riverfront walking trails &045; and building a family recreation complex.

The complex is among the projects proponents have said could be funded with the help of a nonprofit organization, the Friends of the Park Foundation.

Proponents say such a foundation would be able to tap into sources &045; foundation grants, donations, bequests and endowments &045; governments can’t legally receive.

It could also raise private funds, with an estimated $450,000 needed at the onset.

Talk of upgrades isn’t new.

A commission in 2003 drafted preliminary plans for $12 million to $15 million worth of new facilities and upgrades county-wide. At the time, those included ball fields, soccer fields, walking trails and picnic pavilions, a horse arena and a pool, among other things.

The city gave $22,000 to fund drafting of plan to be presented to the public, which would vote on a bond issue, but the county and school board didn’t put up funds.

Then the idea was put on the back burner after the loss of thousands of area jobs due to plant closings &045; most notably, the closing of International Paper in July 2003 &045; impacted the area’s tax base. At the same time, revenues from such sources as golf fees have declined.

But a foundation would ask locals to donate &uot;seed money&uot; to the cause.

Tedder estimated earlier this year up to $50,000 will be needed to hire a consultant to develop a recreation master plan.

He said up to $200,000 will be needed to improve and expand city playgrounds and picnic areas, with another $200,000 to build larger park restroom facilities.

Such seed money would come from the local level, while in the future the foundation would pursue grants and other outside funding.

According to Tedder, the previous Recreation Commission’s final list of recreation needs included:

4A new 60- to 80-acre soccer, playground, picnic and walking trail complex.

4Four adult and four girls softball fields.

4An indoor natatorium and outdoor water park.

4Four new tennis courts and improvements to existing courts at Duncan Park.

4A variety of renovations to Duncan Park’s golf course and youth baseball fields at Duncan Park, Frazier School, Covington Road and Robert Lewis Middle School’s youth baseball fields and North Natchez Community Park.

4Creating wood carpet fall zones and ramps for people with disabilities at city parks.

However, that doesn’t mean the new foundation will advocate the same improvements. Instead, proponents have said public hearings could be held to put together a new list.

The idea of a recreation foundation isn’t new. The Economic Development Authority’s Winnie Kaiser, Alderman Jake Middleton and the Recreation Department championed the idea in 1998.