JACKSON • The agency overseeing Mississippi’s public park system is on the cusp of allowing a private organization to manage the day-to-day operations at some state parks.
For a state with so many outdoor enthusiasts who love to hunt, fish, camp, hike and enjoy the natural beauty of the Magnolia State, Mississippi is severely lacking when it comes to long-term planning for our state parks and outdoors attractions.
This past legislative session highlighted an almost unbelievable lack of anything resembling a cohesive plan for our wildlife and parks system. Based on the near complete disconnect between major bills filed dealing with wildlife and parks, one would think Mississippi doesnât have much experience with the outdoors.
There was as a push to create the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund, which would go toward fixing and improving our state parks and allow for public-private partnerships involving wildlife and outdoors projects. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks put a price tag of $147 million on critical and necessary projects; however, when the Daily Journal asked for a list of those projects and how much
JACKSON ⢠Mississippi lawmakers set out this year to fix the state s rundown parks system and ensure future funding for conservation projects, but they came up mostly empty handed as the legislative session closed last week.
Lawmakers disagreed on whether to privatize some of the state s 25 parks, or find a public funding source. They didn t pass a bill for more advertising, even as surrounding states turn their parks into big tourism draws. And they couldn t hammer out a deal on establishing a $20 million conservation trust fund that could bring in extra federal money.
âWeâre nowhere, said Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, who serves on the House parks committee and leads its tourism committee. I think we once again have done what weâve done every year â and weâve ended up doing nothing. As tourism chair, I can tell you that itâs detrimental to us, not to fix our state parks.â
A planned 49-mile pipeline to carry oil from a refinery in Memphis and connect two pipelines at Byhalia (Marshall County, Mississippi) has gotten all its permits â but it has drawn opposition.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat who represents Memphis, has asked President Joe Biden to rescind the permission the Plains All American project has gotten.
On his first day in office, Jan. 20, Biden rescinded the permits for the 1,200-mile Keystone XL pipeline as part of his âtransitionâ to âgreen energy.â
And the effects on the oil industry are already being felt, including in Mississippi.
Yak Access, based in Columbia, which lays hardwood mats to create roads in remote areas that need to be reached, such as for oil pipelines, has already taken a major hit because of Biden s order. Same for Jones Lumber Co. which produces the mats in Hazlehurst and Natchez.