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Contact: Kathleen Bond, 601-442-7049 ext. 13
Contractors working for Natchez National Historical Park will begin work next week clearing vegetation from the Fort Rosalie site that is located on the west side of Canal Street between the Natchez Visitor Center and the Rosalie mansion. This area is entirely separate from the Rosalie mansion and Bicentennial Gardens that are managed by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the work will have no impact on the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festivities in October. This phase of work at the Fort Rosalie site will include removal of invasive exotic imports like paper mulberry and parasol trees and wisteria vines that are not appropriate to a historic site interpreting the colonial era - as well as the removal of overgrown thickets of cherry laurels to open up the site. Larger native trees like oaks, pecans, and hackberries will be left to provide shade along the picnic area that will be located on the south end near Green Street and the walking trails throughout the site. The landscaping work will be carried out by UFL General Contractors with offices in Gatesville, Texas and Ackerman, Mississippi. Their National Park Service experience includes battlefield restoration at Vicksburg National Military Park and tree work along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Work is expected to be complete by the end of October 2015. Based on the park's 1994 General Management Plan, plans for Fort Rosalie will meet overall goals of preserving and protecting the site, providing access in a way that serves the community interest and allows visitors to experience a meaningful connection to the 18the century French fort site.
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Last updated: September 29, 2015