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Trust fund leaders say $37.3M in state dollars leveraged into $127M for outdoor projects
Summary
Officials overseeing the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund told a joint legislative hearing the program has obligated $37.3 million in state dollars and leveraged roughly $127 million in total project value since the fund’s 2022 start, and outlined application rounds, outreach plans and a 2% administrative cap under the enabling law.
Drew St. John, chairman of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund, told a joint Senate–House hearing that the fund has obligated $37.3 million in state appropriations and used those dollars to leverage about $127 million in project value across the state.
The fund, created by House Bill 606 (2022), has run three application rounds and funded projects ranging from small accessibility improvements to large land-protection and education efforts, St. John said. “The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund is Mississippi’s best kept secret,” he told legislators.
Why it matters: The fund is designed to amplify state dollars through matching funds and partnerships, supporting conservation, wildlife management, nature-based recreation and landowner assistance across Mississippi. Officials described efforts to expand applicant capacity, increase match rates and keep administrative costs within a statutory cap.
St. John, who said he became chairman last August, described projects the board has funded, including accessibility piers at the North Mississippi Fish Hatchery that allowed a man who had been wheelchair bound to fish again and the Mississippi Delta Nature and Learning Center in Greenville, which officials said was largely constructed by teenagers participating through AmeriCorps. He also cited the planned Fannie Cook Natural Area, a roughly 3,200-acre site the board said will include interpretive hiking trails and educational facilities; St. John said the site is larger than New York’s Central Park.
Ricky Flint, executive director of the trust fund, summarized application activity and project counts and said the board has received three formal application rounds (January–February 2023, October 2023 and an earlier 2022 round) and that recent rounds produced scores of applications. Flint said the program has funded 79 projects to date and detailed application counts for earlier rounds, noting applicants may reapply in subsequent rounds and that the board will provide technical assistance to improve future applications.
Flint and St. John described the fund’s leveraging performance and outreach plans. The fund’s current match ratio is about 1:3 (one state dollar to three dollars in matching funds), they said, and the board plans workshops in Jackson to help prospective applicants locate matching resources and strengthen proposals with the goal of increasing leverage toward a 1:4 or 1:5 match.
On administrative costs, Senator Seymour asked what share of appropriations had gone to administration. Flint said the enabling legislation limits administration to 2 percent of appropriations. “We cannot spend more than 2%,” Flint said.
Officials named several partner organizations that have supported the program, including Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy and local foundations. Board members said the program seeks to touch all regions of the state and noted specific projects with landowner assistance components, such as a portal being developed by the Mississippi Forestry Association and a Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks project to assist private landowners with prescribed-burning programs.
Legislative next steps and outreach: Officials said they plan to start accepting the next funding-round applications in August–September, contingent on additional legislative appropriations, and to announce awards in January. The board emphasized technical assistance, including a summer workshop in Jackson open to municipalities and counties, to help communities identify federal or other matching funds and improve competitiveness.
No formal votes were recorded during the presentation portion of the hearing. Board members and staff answered senators’ questions about program administration, matching sources and future outreach, and urged continued legislative support for the fund.
Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund officials asked legislators for continued support to expand the program’s reach and to increase the leverage of state dollars through matching funds and applicant training.
