The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund Board of Trustees has approved a selection of grants totaling $14.5 million for 33 conservation and outdoor recreation projects.
Gov. Tate Reeves made the announcement on Friday, saying the allocation of funding will be matched with nearly $30 million from other sources.
“This is another round of great projects,” Reeves said. “The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund is making an incredibly positive impact on our state. We’ll continue to do everything we can to preserve our state’s natural beauty for the next generation of Mississippians.”
The grants chosen include a diversity of projects that meet the goals of improving state parks and outdoor recreation trails, improving access to public waters and lands, and preserving, enhancing, and restoring Mississippi’s native wildlife and fish resources and their critical habitats.
The latest round of grants comes after the first round of outdoor stewardship trust fund money was allocated last year, landing at around $9.8 million for nearly two dozen projects. The $14.5 million currently being dispersed comes from the legislature’s approval of $15 million to be deposited into the fund during the 2023 session.
“We are grateful that the legislature has built on its support of the trust fund the last two years, and we are even more thrilled to see the board allocate the funding for projects around the state,” Ed Penny, president of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Coalition, said. “The program is beginning to build momentum now!”
The full list of projects chosen can be viewed here.
