Stumping around Chicot Park

Chicot State Park has been called the crown jewel of Evangeline Parish. Over its nearly eight decade long history, it has attracted visitors from all over the country and the world including wildlife enthusiasts, hikers, and boaters. It has even attracted a film crew or two, most recently during the filming of The Free State of Jones starring Matthew McConaughey.
Over recent decades; however, time has taken its toll on the park, and its luster has started to fade. State budget cuts and flooding conditions have also taken their toll on this iconic landscape. The Ville Platte Rotary Club, in conjunction with State Representative Bernard LeBas, was able to get the public official responsible for overseeing state parks, including Chicot Park, to take time out of his busy schedule and take a tour to see the conditions.
After spending the night at Chicot Park, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser began his tour Tuesday morning at the front gate of the park. He went on to view the conditions of the group camp buildings that were recently flooded. He then went on to the boat launch, and his two hour tour also included a stop at Governor Jimmie Davis’ house.
After the tour, Lieutenant Governor Nungesser addressed the meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club along with other officials from the parish. He shared his vision to bring the luster back to Chicot Park as well as his solutions that include involvement from the local communities.
For the lieutenant governor, the problem of Chicot Park starts with the management. “We’ve got a problem there,” he said. “It’s not that the management are bad people, but they don’t have what it takes to run that park.”
“We’ve got to find someone that has the same passion for that park as we do to run it,” he continued. “We need a manager. Maybe you know someone or a retired couple who is interested. They get a home in the park to live, and it pays $50 to $70 thousand a year. Also, the assistant manager gets to live on the grounds.”
His vision to restore the park begins with using $800 thousand to $1 million to work on the flooded cabins. “Y’all are going to make a decision whether you want me to rebuild those cabins where they are or move them up to the top of the hill and build a group camp with say 30 beds on one side with a breezeway and a bathroom and 30 beds on the other side where you can have boys and girls,” said the lieutenant governor. “Whatever it needs, y’all need to get together and report back to me what you want, and we’re going to start the process immediately.”
“We’re going to move quickly to build whatever y’all decide,” he continued. “We will use the existing building for overflow with the bathrooms and the group camp that’s there. Then we’ve got to do a little work in that kitchen there, but we’ll get that done.”
Lieutenant Governor Nungesser touched on areas to increase revenue and to attract more visitors to the park including private-public partnerships and used examples like ziplines at Bogue Chitto, to show how this idea has helped other state parks.
“A gentleman at Bogue Chitto took his horses, and we gave him free land and moved him into the state park,” said the lieutenant governor. “He started a trail ride, and, about a month and a half ago, I went out there, and there were over 150 horses that showed up and a national TV show to film the beautiful trail rides.”
“We get $2.00 a half day and $4.00 a whole day from him for every trail ride,” he continued. “I believe within a short period of time that horseback operation will pay all the expenses at that state park.
Other examples of possible private-public partnerships at Chicot Park are renting kayaks and peddlebikes like at Fontainbleu. “If you get someone that wants to take those canoes, kayaks, and flatboats that we own, move into the state park, put a few motors on them, and teach high school kids how to use a kayak, then we’ll give them to you.”
The vision of the lieutenant governor for Chicot Park also includes an idea of using the whole side of the lake that is unused. “Imagine if we let a local developer go in there and tell him to sell lots for summer homes and build some homes,” he said. “We could charge $50.00 per month per lot for 99 years, and you’d end up with 60 people down here for the summer or the winter. They’d be eating in the restaurants, shopping in the shops, and creating activity, and we’d be making the money to fix up the state park.”
“We’re not going to do anything that takes away from the beauty,” he continued. “We’re not going to go in there and build a go-cart course. We’re going to do things that make sense for that state park. The sky’s the limit if we do it right.”
Lieutenant Governor Nungesser then spoke about ideas to increase tourism dollars that can not only help Chicot Park but Evangeline Parish as a whole. One idea is attracting international markets. “International travel stays longer and spends more money,” he stated. “There’s your ticket. We’ve got to get those people out of New Orleans and see more of Louisiana.”
Two ways to do this, according to the lieutenant governor, are group tours and the Trails and Byways program. “Group tours get people out of New Orleans on buses or into a rental car and show them where they can go for one, two, or three days to travel around the state and see all the great things to see.”
“Trails and Byways is a great program to get people off the interstate through all the backwoods,” he continued. “We just finished the Atchafalaya Basin with 50 places to get off and see and read explanation boards about the Atchafalaya Basin so that people don’t have to get out on a boat to see it.”
The lieutenant governor then stated that his office is “looking for new ideas everyday.” He said, “Right now, we’re talking about a movie trail. People, especially the Chinese, want to go see where the movies were shot and, of course, where people were shot like Bonnie and Clyde. Natchicotches is still bringing people in because of Steel Magnolias.
Still using the idea of movies to grow the local economy, the lieutenant governor spoke about new legislation designed for small towns to get more movies. “If people shoot a movie outside of New Orleans, then they get an extra five-percent tax credit,” he said. “We have to advertise that, and another thing we have to do is put together a little stick for your computer with all the great things you have in your city, your town, and your parish to offer to the movie industry.”
“I did it as parish president of Plaquemines Parish,” he continued. “We went out and took a picture of every camp and every orange grove on the bayou and on the river. The movie people used the ferry 13 times and used the high school seven times. Giving that stick to the 400 something people that go out and find locations makes it easier for them, and they have all your stuff right in front of them. It’s something you can do to bring more movies to your area.”
One of the elected officials at the Rotary meeting was Turkey Creek Mayor Heather Cloud who was impressed with the presentation. “I’m impressed with your enthusiasm and your drive,” she told Lieutenant Governor Nungesser. “I’m impressed that you’re encouraging our people to get their own wheels spinning and jump in, and I’m impressed that you care about our community.”