Mississippi officials outline park repairs, funding requests and revenue strategies

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks officials told the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee on Monday that the agency has completed major infrastructure work across several state parks and is requesting further capital and operating funds to continue renovations and expand services.

The agency presented an inventory of recent work and new revenue strategies. Brian Ferguson, chief of staff for state parks, and Andre Hollis, state director for state parks, said the department focused on water, sewer and electrical systems first and has finished 10 major infrastructure projects across seven parks, including renovations at Clarkco, Percy Quin, Paul B. Johnson, Lake Lincoln, Walthall (Waldoxie in the handout), Percy Quin and Roosevelt State Park.

Ferguson said the department has 1,594 RV campsites systemwide and has renovated 462 at their five most‑visited parks. The park system has 225 cabins, of which 83 have been renovated. The department negotiated contracts to install 20–25 “tiny homes” at state parks and has added premium primitive tent sites and new retail/concession operations to diversify revenue.

Why it matters: committee members said the renovations are visible to visitors and legislators but noted remaining needs at smaller and federal‑land parks, access roads and broadband. Lawmakers repeatedly asked for clear, line‑item capital requests so they can evaluate and fund specific projects.

Key details and funding

- The department said it used about $36.3 million in ARPA and tourism funds for infrastructure projects (Ferguson: $12.8 million of ARPA for infrastructure and $24.26 million in tourism funds for campgrounds). Separately, the agency reported roughly $31 million in capital expense funds over recent years, with approximately $15 million of federal matching dollars, a combined investment the agency presented as about $46 million in total projected value.

- For the coming year, the department requested roughly $9.5 million in capital expenses, including about $4.5 million to complete 50 campsites and hotel renovations at J.P. Coleman State Park, day‑use improvements at Lake Lincoln (including a roof replacement the agency estimated at about $700,000), and critical road repairs at Trace State Park.

- Ferguson told the committee Trace State Park roadwork might be completed with a chip‑seal solution (estimated at roughly $300,000) instead of full asphalt (about $1.8 million). The department said it is exploring lower‑cost surfacing where practicable.

- Agency operating request figures provided to the committee: about $6.5 million in general fund support for state park employee salaries, a capital request of $9.4 million, and roughly $10 million in annual special‑fund revenue from fees. Combined operating (including salaries) was described as roughly $18 million a year.

Operational changes and revenue

Ferguson credited a recent shift that allowed the department to pay law‑enforcement officers’ salaries from the general fund; the change moved those costs off park special funds and freed user revenue to be reinvested in parks, he said. Agency staff reported adding reservation software that produces occupancy data: the system reported about 28% occupancy on amenities across the state in the initial months of the new vendor’s data, with renovated parks showing higher occupancy than unrenovated parks.

The department said broadband installations have been added at Buccaneer and Percy Quin State Parks and that two projects cost roughly $1,000,000 and $900,000 respectively; agency staff said Wi‑Fi installation is expensive but helps keep guests longer and attract out‑of‑state visitors. The department also reported a social media following climbing from about 2,000 to more than 110,000 over about a decade.

Staffing, housing and public‑private partnerships

Ferguson and Hollis described workforce and manager‑compensation issues: park managers with widely different responsibilities can now have the same pay, and the agency is discussing a scaled salary structure to reflect park size and complexity. They also raised long‑term housing conditions for managers who live on park property and said many park residences are decades old and will need upgrades to retain staff.

For parks on federally controlled lands the agency said it is pursuing public‑private partnership (P3) arrangements that keep ownership with the state while attracting private investment for improvements and operation. Grenada’s Hugh White State Park was cited as a likely candidate. Agency staff noted federal restrictions on some uses (for example, marinas) at Corps‑managed reservoirs, which can limit private developers’ proposals.

Specific project timing

- Paul B. Johnson State Park: agency staff said an anticipated completion date for ongoing cabin/hotel work was around Dec. 9 with an intended reopening in early January pending final inspections; the hotel and campground are the first priorities because of visitor use patterns.

- J.P. Coleman State Park: the department plans to prioritize 19 hotel rooms and 50 campsites; cabin work will follow.

Security and utilities

Committee members asked about surveillance and security. Agency staff said they are exploring gate arms and cameras for some parks but cited cost as a limiting factor. On electrical service, the department said it owns most internal park distribution; Tom Bigby (a park referenced in testimony) was noted as an exception where a cooperative handles electrical service.

Questions and next steps

Committee members pressed for more line‑item detail and multi‑year cost estimates. Agency officials provided a high‑level estimate that bringing parks statewide to the level of the most renovated locations could require roughly $50 million over the next five years, but they also said rising costs make long‑range totals uncertain. The department asked for the committee’s continued support for targeted capital items and matches for federal grants including the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Recreational Trails Program.

Ending note

Officials asked legislators to consider targeted funding and policy measures to sustain progress. No formal committee action or vote occurred during the update.