NATCHEZ — Since 2008 local attorney Walter Brown has been seeking to see access and property improvements made at Emerald Mound, and he said the county has a good chance of getting it funded this year.

Brown said the county has attempted to acquire Federal Land Access Program grant money previously, and though it is a tough grant to get, Brown said projects along the Natchez Trace Parkway are priorities.

“Sometimes it just takes persistence,” Brown said. “Like with completing the Natchez Trace Parkway, it took years, but we finally got that done.”

The Adams County Board of Supervisors is seeking $750,000. Brown said the money would pay for preliminary and construction plans. The funding, if granted, would not come in until the 2018 fiscal year.

The idea is to relocate the current county road providing access, which is directly in front of Emerald Mound, behind the historic site and plant vegetation to screen the road from the location. On the south side of the mound, a new road would be built to provide direct access to the Natchez Trace Parkway.

A walking trail would also be created, a parking area built for up to 10 cars and the vista would be opened up to help beautify the landmark, Brown said.

Brown said, should funding be granted during this cycle, it would likely be four to five years before construction would start. The total project cost would be approximately $8 million, Brown said.

First, Brown said, the county would seek to acquire construction funds from the National Park Service directly. If that does not work, Brown said the county could seek assistance from Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

Brown also stepped down from the leadership position of the project and handed it over to County Attorney Scott Slover and the Adams County Board of Supervisors.

“I thought it was time to pass it on to Scott and let him be the party who would be the contact between the county and the federal access people,” Brown said. “It’s going to be a long project. I hope to be here as a guest when it’s done, not as an attorney.”

Slover said he’s been involved since the beginning, and that Brown would still be involved, so it’s not going to be a big leadership transition. Slover said he’d be responsible for making sure the paperwork is sent off and he’d also be the person answering or contacting the delegation.

“The project is going to take some time, but it is going to be great once it is complete,” Slover said. “I think it is a very important landmark, not just for the area, but for the country as a whole.

“It’s the second largest Indian mound in North America, so it needs to be preserved and we also need sufficient access to it.”