Summer 2003

CHUNKY RIVER IS NEWEST SCENIC STREAM - From its confluence with Tallasher Creek in Newton County to the formation of the Chickasawhay River in Clarke County, the Chunky River is Mississippi's newest scenic stream. The Chunky flows through Newton, Lauderdale, and Clarke counties before joining Okatibbee Creek just north of Enterprise to form the Chickasawhay River. The original request for eligibility of the Chunky to become a scenic stream came from Everett Robinson, Mississippi Power Company's regional manager for its Newton, Forest and Bay Springs offices. For several years, Everett and the Earth and Energy Team at Mississippi Power have focused on the health of the Chunky River. The team held annual clean ups in the spring and monitored water quality through the Adopt a Stream program sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. Pursuing designation under the Scenic Streams Stewardship Program was a natural extension of the active interest of Everett and his team members. The Chunky is Mississippi's fourth scenic stream, joining the Wolf River (coastal), the Tangipahoa River (Pike County) and Magee's Creek (Walthall County). Senators Terry Burton of Newton and Videt Carmichael of Lauderdale authored Senate Bill 2492 designating the Chunky River as a scenic stream. Streamside landowners along the public section of the Chunky were notified of the nomination and were asked to consider making voluntary agreements to use the best management practices available when harvesting timber on their streamside properties. "This should help maintain good water quality during and after harvest," Scenic Streams Stewardship Program Coordinator Andrew Whitehurst said. So far, some 14 agreements have been received by officials.

CONGRESSMAN TAYLOR HELPS RESTORE COASTAL MARSH - A major restoration project is under way on about 50 acres of marshland on Deer Island, which is located in Biloxi Bay between Ocean Springs and Biloxi. The island, which offers the mainland protection from southerly winds and storms, has suffered plenty of erosion. "It had eroded back enough where the marsh is actually threatened by wave action and other things," said Chris LaGarde, natural resources director for Congressman Gene Taylor. "Before you know it, there was a serious problem". The joint effort between federal, state and local agencies is making the restoration possible. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the country's navigable waterways, where dredging is ongoing. The project is using the dredged material to re form a part of Deer Island that had eroded. "It's the first time in Mississippi that we've used this type of project on such a large scale," LaGarde said. The state, through Secretary of State Eric Clark, and the city of Biloxi, through the Biloxi Port Commission, each contributed $125,000 from tidelands funds to the project. The remainder of the $1 million cost comes from federal funds earmarked for such projects. The area will be restored in several stages. The first stage is to build up the area with larger pieces of dredged material, then with sand and soil. Rock rather than processed concrete will be used as the foundation for the restoration, making the project more stable and physically appealing. The lighter material will be filled in several feet higher than the marsh, allowing the material to settle to marsh level. "The first cut (in dredging) is loose like sand," LaGarde said. "Basically, it's like soup. It's great for growing marsh, but you can't stack it." After a settling and maintenance period of a year or two, the area will be planted with marsh grass or left to vegetate itself. The idea for the project began a couple of years ago. Unlike most of the Coast's barrier islands which formed from sand piled up by the Gulf waters over millions of years, Deer Island was formed when it broke off from the mainland of Biloxi. Erosion in the past century alone has reduced the island to about 450 acres from about 2,600. "Since we've losing this marsh foot by foot, we felt like we could build it back by foot," LaGarde said. The island once had buzzed with industrial and recreational life, and several homes were located there. The land had been privately owned until last year, when the state bought a large section of the island for $15 million from David Sanders. Small parts of the island still are privately owned. Sanders had approached the state and the federal government for help in halting the erosion, but because it was privately owned "we couldn't justify it," LaGarde said. When the sale of the land was complete, government agencies jumped in to start the project. "If we can get this thing built, we can go on from that," LaGarde said. "Gene's been working on (securing more funding)." Discussions of similar projects under way, LaGarde said, most recently the restoration of Singing River Island, where Navy Homeport is based in Pascagoula. Although still years away from reality, the plan would restore about 130 acres to the island. "They have an erosion problem just like they do out (on Deer Island)," LaGarde said. In addition to the restoration of marshland on the island, part of the project would include building 1,400 acres off the island as a barrier against water erosion.

SPORTSMEN LICENSE HOLDERS CAN WIN NEW TRUCK - In a matter of months, some lucky Mississippi Sportsman License holder will be driving home a new Dodge Truck. Mississippi Dodge dealers have joined with Mississippi Outdoors and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to give away another Dodge Ram 4 X 4 truck. "Anyone who purchases a 2003 04 Mississippi Sportsman License, or renews their current Sportsman License, on or before Nov. 30, 2003, will be eligible to win this beautiful truck," Deputy Administrator Al Tuck said. The truck will be given away on Dec. 11, at 7:30 pm during a live broadcast of the "Mississippi Outdoors" television show on the Miss. Educational Television Network. Agency officials say the winner will be contacted by the Department once an official background check has been completed. The winner must not have previous Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks violations and must have a clean driving record. Participants must be a Mississippi resident and must have a valid state driving license. Employees of any Dodge Dealer, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi Educational Television, participating media representatives and any advertising or promotional agencies and suppliers and their immediate families are ineligible to participate or win the drawing. For more contest information, go to www.mdwfp.com, or call toll free 1-800 GO PARKS.

USDA Targeted Incentives for Carbon Sequestration - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking a series of actions to respond to the request laid out by President Bush in February 2002. USDA will provide incentives and support voluntary actions by private landowners, including farmers and forest and grazing landowners. USDA will give consideration to management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases in setting priorities and implementing forest and agriculture conservation programs. The actions USDA will implement include financial incentives, technical assistance, demonstrations, pilot programs, education and capacity building, along with measurements to assess the success of these efforts. In fiscal year 2004, USDA will invest almost $3.9 billion in agriculture and forest conservation, an increase of $1.7 billion over 2001 levels. Due to the increase in conservation investments and a focus that includes carbon sequestration efforts, USDA estimates these actions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester roughly 12 million tons of greenhouse gases (measured in carbon equivalent terms) annually by 2012. Forests, crop and grazing land conservation actions can play a unique role in reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the U.S. economy. Given the size and productivity of the U.S. land base, these practices have a distinct comparative advantage relative to many other domestic options. Significant environmental benefits will result from efforts to sequester carbon in forest systems. Forest management helps to maintain desirable water quality, helps to prevent or lessen flooding, provides for healthy aquatic communities and supports in stream uses and downstream withdrawals. A managed forest landscape can enhance wildlife diversity and abundance. Establishing forests on marginal, poor or degraded agricultural lands can enhance soil carbon storage and nutrient retention capacity, significantly reduce soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat and water quality and provide increased recreation opportunities and landowner income.

STATE RECORD FISH Announced - Greg Sarringar of Greenville set a new state record when he landed his 5 pound 8 ounce spotted gar while fishing at Lake Lee on May 8. His catch broke the previous record of 2.45 pounds set by Kevin Jarvis in June 2001. A few days earlier, Earl Stafford of Natchez became the first state record holder for alligator gar. On May 3 Stafford was fishing in the Mississippi River when he hooked a 215 pound alligator gar. More than an hour later, Stafford landed the huge fish. Later, Natchez Seafood Company Owner Steve Satchfield contacted Conservation Officer Ricky Long to determine if the big fish was a state record. On May 6, Fisheries Biologist John Skains, and Icthyologist Dr. Todd Slack made a positive species identification, witnessed the certified weight and photographed the fish. The big gar measured 7 feet 11.5 inches from snout to tail and had a girth of 41 inches. Nationally, this is the second largest alligator gar to be submitted to the National Freshwater Hall of Fame located in Hayward, Wisconsin. If official tests on the line Stafford submitted confirm that it is 50 pound test, Earl will be recognized as the world record holder for the 50 pound line class for alligator gar. Earl's fish is being mounted for display at the Natchez Seafood Company.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BILL PASSES PANEL - the House Agriculture Conservation Subcommittee recently approved a bill to reverse USDA's solution to the technical assistance (TA) funding problem. H.R. 1907, sponsored by Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lucas would stop USDA from using money from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Farmland Protection Program, Grassland Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program to pay the technical assistance costs of the Wetlands Reserve Program and Conservation Reserve Program. "We're another step closer to getting this problem rectified and getting the conservation programs the funding we allotted in the 2002 farm bill," Lucas said. The reason for the shortfall in technical assistance funding is that the Justice Department interpreted language in the 1996 farm bill as prohibiting the release of technical assistance money for the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetland Reserve Program. The administration has proposed creating a separate discretionary account to provide technical assistance money for all of USDA's conservation programs, but appropriators rejected that proposal. Lawmakers are similarly troubled by USDA's solution, to divert money from four "working lands" programs the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Farmland Protection Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program to pay the technical assistance costs of the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetland Reserve Program. The legislators say this scheme shortchanges the working lands programs. An analysis by the National Association of Conservation Districts found that USDA's solution is costing farmers about $160 million in direct payments this year. Lucas' bill does not provide an alternative solution, leaving the decision to USDA officials. The measure passed Lucas' subcommittee by a unanimous voice vote.