Governor Reeves makes appointments to Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund Board

The Board will oversee $10 million of state appropriations that can be invested into projects and programs that facilitate care for parks and rivers across Mississippi.

In April of this year, Governor Tate Reeves signed the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Act (House Bill 606) into law. The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund Board will oversee $10 million of state appropriations that can be invested into projects and programs that facilitate care for parks and rivers across Mississippi.

“Passing this legislation is a monumental achievement for Mississippi. It took Georgia nearly 10 years to get a similar program enacted, but in Mississippi, we were able to get it done inside of two years,” said Ed Penny, President of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Coalition. “I think that speaks to the passion of our state’s leadership and their understanding of the importance of our great outdoors and the economic driver that that it is. We are pleased with the program’s establishment, and we look forward to getting started on conservation work that preserves state’s special places for the next generation.”

Governor Tate Reeves has made four appointments to the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. The Mississippi Governor appointed:

• Dason Colin Maloney of Tupelo (1st Congressional District)
• Van K. Ray of Yazoo City (2nd Congressional District)
• Drew Thomas St. John, II of Madison (3rd Congressional District)
• David Edward Holman of Bay St. Louis (4th Congressional District).

Governor Reeves said that one of his top priorities will always be to conserve Mississippi’s parks, wetlands, and trails for future generations to enjoy and appreciate.

“The Lord blessed Mississippi with an abundance of natural beauty. One of my top priorities will always be to conserve our parks, wetlands, and trails for future generations to enjoy and appreciate,” Reeves said. “I am confident that these individuals will help to do exactly that by effectively representing the state and steering the responsible investment of these funds toward impactful conservation efforts.”

The Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund has several non-voting members, including:

• The Executive Director of the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission
• The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
• The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
• The Secretary of State
• The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
• The Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees
• The Chairs of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee
• The Chairs of the Senate and House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committees

The Board will also consist of four members appointed by the Governor (one from each of the congressional districts) and three members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor (one from each of the State Supreme Court districts).

Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann named his three appointments to the seven-member board:

• Denny Terrell of Kosciusko (1^st Supreme Court District)
• Joe Cloyd of Ocean Springs (2^nd Supreme Court District)
• Mat Lipscomb of DeSoto County (3^rd Supreme Court District).

“These individuals bring a keen business sense, strong work ethic, and a love of Mississippi’s outdoors and natural spaces to the table. There is much work to do, especially in our state and local parks, which have the potential to be premier tourism spots for Mississippians,” Lt. Governor Hosemann said. “I look forward to seeing how this board’s decisions will positively impact one of our state’s most important assets—our outdoor spaces.”