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Members of the Gulf Coast Legislative Delegation and Secretary of State Turn Back Tidelands Trust Fund Statutory Maximum of
$11.74 Million to Mississippi Gulf Coast
Gulfport, Miss.— Projects aimed at conserving and providing access to public lands on the Mississippi Gulf Coast received millions today from the Secretary of State’s Office and gulf coast legislative delegation.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, on behalf of the Gulf Coast legislative delegation, presented Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Executive Director Joe Spraggins with a check for $11,740,00.00, representing the Tidelands Trust Fund amount turned back for Fiscal Year 2019.
“The Tidelands Trust Fund, and the projects it stimulates, serve the purpose of making sure Mississippians are able to enjoy the Mississippi Gulf Coast now and in the future,” said Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who serves as Trustee of the Public Trust Tidelands and as State Land Commissioner.
Since 2008, the Secretary of State’s office has turned back over $104 million to the Mississippi Gulf Coast through the Tidelands Trust Fund program during Secretary Hosemann’s tenure. This is significantly more than the previous decade (Fiscal Years 1997-2007), which is calculated at about $54.5 million.
Revenue for the Tidelands Trust Fund is generated by leases on lands owned by the State in trust for the people of Mississippi, and assessment for on shore gaming operations. Generated funds are disbursed to MDMR for programs and projects geared toward conservation, reclamation, and preservation of Mississippi’s tidelands, and the increase of public access areas on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“The Tidelands trust fund represents a large annual investment from the State in coastal marsh preservation, marine education, and environmental conservation of Mississippi’s marine resources,” Spraggins said. “Many of these projects provide valuable environmental research that helps the agency’s management and conservation decisions. We appreciate Secretary Hosemann’s efforts, and will continue to work closely with his Office in the future.”
For more information on the Tidelands Trust Fund, visit the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.ms.gov/Public-Lands/Pages/Public-Trust-Tidelands.aspx.
