A consortium of environmental and community groups is seeking public input on a plan that would link local cultural gems through a series of bike trails, interpretative displays and lookout points.

The Mounds Heritage Trail Master Plan would create a route between Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville and Sugar Loaf Mounds in St. Louis.

Under the proposal, the connection would feature various displays, maps and parks. It would also highlight several other historic sites, including the Eads Bridge, the National Road, Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Fairmont City, Katherine Dunham Museum in East St. Louis and Old North St. Louis neighborhood.

Several organizations, including the Confluence Partnership and Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development, are working on the plan.

Laura Cohen, director of the Confluence Partnership, which comprises four environmental groups, said local input and support is key to the development of the proposal. A meeting is planned for Tuesday, Aug. 2, at St. Louis City Hall and on Thursday, Aug. 4, at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30 Ramey Street in Collinsville. Both start at 4 p.m.

"We'll get the feedback and based on feedback and suggestions, our hope is that we'll finalize a plan in September and develop some preliminary cost estimates," Cohen said. "Beyond that, we really need to work with the communities to see how we can get the funds to implement various pieces of this plan."

The final plan is expected to rely on donations from private groups and public financing.

An $8,000 National Park Service grant and $5,000 grant from the Norman J. Stupp Foundation are funding the planning stages.

The group hopes the features will give tourists a better opportunity to explore the area and help residents better appreciate historic sites.

Ed Weilbacher, of Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development, said that Sugar Loaf Mound is the last remaining mound in Missouri and the National Road, which connected settlers from the east coast to St. Louis in the early 1800s, was the first road built by government funding. Cahokia Mounds has been designated as both a World Heritage Site and a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

"Cahokia Mounds is a world attraction equivalent to the pyramids of Egypt," Weilbacher said. "Travelers want to experience these attractions, but oftentimes we don't recognize them locally. So this plan is an attempt to get people to understand and appreciate the cultural resources that we have."

Contact reporter Ramona C. Sanders at 618-344-0254, ext. 136