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Board approves 16th Section forestry actions including prescribed burn and timber-sale advertisements
Summary
The board approved multiple 16th Section land-management items: a prescribed burn on ~300 acres at $25/hour, fire-lane maintenance/construction at $150/hour, and advertisements for thinning and final-harvest timber sales; all motions passed unanimously.
The Lamar County School District Board approved a series of 16th Section land-management actions related to timber management and site maintenance.
Actions recorded in the packet and approved by the board included: authorization for the Forestry Commission to perform a prescribed burn on roughly 300 acres at $25.00 per hour; approval for the Forestry Commission to perform fire-lane maintenance and construction at $150.00 per hour on specified 16th Section tracts; and authorization to advertise sales for a first thinning (approximately 145 acres) and a +/-81‑acre final harvest. The board also approved contracting with the Mississippi Association of School Business Officials for 16th Section professional services.
Each motion was made and seconded and passed by unanimous roll call (5-0). Board counsel earlier had recommended using a 5% fair-market rental rate for 16th Section commercial leases in 2026; counsel’s presentation of T-bill rate data (4.16%) is recorded in the minutes.
Why it matters: 16th Section lands are public school trust lands; decisions about prescribed burning, timber sales and lease terms affect long-term revenue available for district operations and stewardship of forested tracts.
