Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks asks for $21.4 million; seeks pay increases for enforcement officers

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks told the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Appropriations Committee that it is requesting $21.4 million for fiscal 2026 to fund park and museum staffing, marketing and disease management, and $1.9 million specifically to raise law enforcement salaries.

The department’s commissioner, speaking at the Feb. 1 hearing, thanked legislators for prior support and promised stewardship of appropriated funds. “Committed MDW and the MDWFP mission is we are committed to serving and enhancing Mississippi’s wildlife fisheries and parks and providing quality outdoor recreation and engaging the public and natural resource conservation,” the commissioner said. He said the agency estimates outdoor recreation drives billions in economic activity statewide.

The department said it has spent about $70 million to renovate state parks since the effort began, citing improvements at parks including Florida Bluff State Park and upgrades at park cabins, camp pads and stores. Agency staff said prior operating shortfalls had forced park maintenance dollars to be diverted to law enforcement in earlier years; the Legislature provided $7.1 million last year to restore operating capacity.

Agency budget staff outlined the FY2026 requests in detail: $6.9 million in general funds to raise salaries for state park employees; $4.6 million for natural science museum staff; $7.1 million for continued park operating support; $1.9 million for law enforcement pay increases; $350,000 for marketing; and $400,000 to continue chronic wasting disease (CWD) work. That package totals $21.4 million, the presentation said.

On CWD, agency staff said the department receives $400,000 annually for management and that detection has expanded to include environmental sampling. “We’re even finding some of the CWD prions in some of the scrapes, throughout the delta,” the commissioner said, noting surveillance has intensified in the past two years.

Committee members pressed for metrics tying investments to revenues and maintenance costs. One legislator asked the agency to provide, for each renovated park, profit-and-loss-like reporting that shows revenue, expenses and maintenance trends so the committee can track the return on capital improvements. The commissioner and staff agreed to supply the requested breakdown and a headcount-by-pay-class breakdown for the compensation request.

The department also described non‑general‑fund requests and capital priorities: matching funds to leverage LWCF and ARPA grants for park projects; museum equipment and elevator work; campground and spillway repairs at specific lakes; Prentiss Walker Dam match for a federal grant; and authority requests totaling tens of millions in special‑fund spending authority for wildlife, parks and museum projects.

Committee members asked about park reservation and licensing systems. The agency said it cancelled an existing reservation contract and expects a new vendor to go live April 1; it also expects a new license system to go live Feb. 18 to improve renewals and recapture lapsed licensees.

The hearing closed with committee members requesting additional detail on park-level finances, the composition of the positions affected by the pay request, and follow-up on CWD testing protocols and environmental sampling.

Less critical details: agency staff said they have increased the department’s social media presence and revamped the parks brand and website; staff also described tourism and recreation economic-impact estimates the department compiled.