On Tuesday, Secretary of State Michael Watson presented the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) with a check for $11 million in Tidelands Trust Funds amounts collected during Fiscal Year 2024.
Pursuant to a bill passed during the 2024 Mississippi legislative session, the secretary of state’s office was authorized to transfer up to $11 million. The total revenue collected from two relevant funds in FY2024 was $11,426,985.43. The money comes from onshore gaming and rents from lessees from state-owned tidelands and other submerged lands.
“These funds are needed for the entire coast. The coast drives a lot fo what happens in the state, so making sure they have the dollars to preserve the entire coast we all grew up loving is huge,” Watson said.
The Tidelands Trust Fund Program was created by the Tidelands Act of 1989 with the first transfer taking place in 1997. Funds are dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the state’s tidelands while enhancing public access and economic development across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
After Tuesday’s check was presented by Watson on behalf of the Gulf Coast legislative delegation, the secretary of state’s office has now transferred $209,945,227 through the program. The latest check is the fourth-largest MDMR has received since the program was implemented.
Three coastal counties – Harrison, Jackson, and Hancock – received $5,304,534 for public access projects through the latest transfer.
Harrison
- Courthouse Road Boat Launch & Jetties Improvements/Mitigation (Gulfport) – $500,000
- Working Waterfront & Seafood Harbor (D’Iberville) – $800,000
- Fountain Pier & Kayak Launch (D’Iberville) – $100,000
- Small Craft Harbor/Pier C-2 Improvements (Pass Christian) – $340,000
- Small Craft Harbor Improvements (Long Beach) – $500,000
- Development of a Broodstock of Flounder (University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast) – $164,534
- City Use (Biloxi) – $400,000
Jackson
- McPhearson Pier Rehabilitation (Ocean Springs) – $250,000
- Fairway Drive Boat Launch & Pier (Gautier) – $250,000
- Highway 63 Boat Launch Improvements (Jackson County Board of Supervisors) – $200,000
- River Enhancements (Moss Point) – $250,000
- Beach Park Pier Repairs & Enhancements (Pascagoula) – $400,000
Hancock
- Municipal Harbor Beach Amenities & Improvement (Hancock County Board of Supervisors) – $400,000
- Municipal Harbor Beach Amenities & Improvement (Bay St. Louis) – $250,000
- Coleman Avenue Waterfront Improvement (Waveland) – $250,000
- Lily Pond Public Access Improvements (Diamondhead) – $250,000
In addition to the public access projects, $3,842,769 went to MDMR for management projects. These projects are not currently listed but include items that manage coastal preserves, conducting shellfish studies, and developing oyster reefs.
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