Partners in Action
Complete Listing
Lafayette County School District, Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford Bicycle Club - Oxford, Mississippi
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Partners on Two Wheels: Lets Ride Out to the Lake!
Lake:
Sardis Lake, MS
Partners: USACE;
Oxford Bicycle Club - Oxford, Mississippi
Partnership Type: Cooperating Association
Corps POC: Alton W. Pollan, Park Manager
Story: Realizing that mountain biking is a rapidly growing form of outdoor recreation in North Mississippi, Shane Norris of the Oxford Bicycle Club and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teamed up to pioneer the regions first and only mountain bike recreation trails in an all-out effort to draw interest to use of the Great American Outdoors. The 7-mile trail was located between Oxford, Mississippi and Sardis Lakes Clear Creek Recreation Area, terrain comprised of rugged hills and numerous species of oak and pine trees in a pristine, naturalistic setting reminiscent of the ambiance of the fictional Yoknapatawpha County immortalized by noted Mississippi author and Oxford native William Faulkner. The newly formed partnership was built on the realization that the loop trails would draw more recreational enthusiasts to the sport as well as students at the nearby University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Excitement over the potential of the initiative led to discussions by local and state leaders to fund construction of additional trails connecting the project to bicycle paths located within the city limits of Oxford.
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