Trust Fund History
Tidelands
The Tidelands Trust Fund Program, as administered by the Secretary of State's Office and the Department of Marine Resources, began in 1994, and its mission is to establish state policy balancing the divergent interests of upland private property owners and the general public over the use of public trust tidelands and submerged land of the State of Mississippi.
How is the Tidelands Trust Fund Administered?
Applications for Tidelands Trust Funds are accepted by the
Department of Marine Resources each year. An in-house compliance review is
conducted by the Tidelands Administrator to ensure that all applications are
complete and legible. Upon completion of this initial screening, a Merit
Review Committee begins its review process. The Merit Review Committee is
comprised of two Commissioners from the Commission on Marine Resources, a
representative of the Secretary of State's Office, DMR Cadre Staff, and
various local experts in the marine science field. Their review process
follows the ‘project selection criteria’ as established by the Commission on
Marine Resources. Examples of the selection criteria include, but are not
limited to, level of anticipated benefits to be gained from project, level
of beneficial impact/enhancement, level of need for the project, and
compliance with the intent of Mississippi Code §29-15-9. Upon completion of
the Merit Committee’s review, recommendations on projects are made to the
Commission on Marine Resources. After careful and extensive review by the
Commissioners, final recommendations are submitted to the Legislature for
appropriation in January. The Legislature has ultimate authority in deciding
the appropriation of Tidelands funds. The Department of Marine Resources
notifies all recipients of Tidelands funds by mail in May as to the amount
of money their projects will receive. Upon receipt of funds from the
Secretary of State’s Office in October, the Department of Marine Resources
disburses the funds as mandated.
Recipients of Tidelands Trust Funds sign a Tidelands Grant Agreement upon receipt of funds and are responsible for meeting the terms of the Grant Agreement. Some of these may include such stipulations as to provide the Department of Marine Resources with semi-annual reports and a final report upon completion of the project, photographs (if applicable), the results of an independent audit, the presence of a prominent, permanent sign that clearly states the origin of the funds, and the necessary permits for construction of projects.
The Tidelands Trust Fund Program is dedicated to the conservation, reclamation, and preservation of Mississippi's tidelands, while also proudly enhancing its current public access areas. To date, over 100 worthwhile projects have been funded through the Tidelands Trust Fund Program, and an increase in project number and quality is expected with every new year. The Department of Marine Resources takes great pride in our role of administering the Tidelands Trust Fund in conjunction with the Secretary of State’s Office, and welcomes the continued challenge of administering the Tidelands Trust Fund to the best interest of Mississippi’s precious marine resources and her people.
Tidelands Trust Fund Upcoming Events and Current News