13-38-CWS | March 28, 2013
BILOXI, Miss. –The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ (MDMR) Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Grand Bay NERR) is holding a public meeting on Thursday, April 4, at 6 p.m., to discuss a revised Management Plan for the Grand Bay NERR. The meeting will be held at the Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center, 6005 Bayou Heron Road, near Moss Point.
Periodic revisions are required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and developed based upon their guidance. Reserve goals and objectives will be presented relating to priority focus areas, which include habitat protection, water quality and climate change. The Grand Bay NERR, located in southeastern-most Jackson County, was originally designated in 1999.
Public comments on the Management Plan are welcome at the meeting or can be sent to david.ruple@dmr.ms.gov. A copy of the Management Plan is available online at the Grand Bay NERR’s Web site http://grandbaynerr.org/reserve-management-plan or can be viewed at the Grand Bay NERR headquarters. For directions to the Center and more information on these events, please visit our website at www.grandbaynerr.org.
The Grand Bay NERR is located in southeast Jackson County, Mississippi and includes wetlands and waterways from Bang’s Lake to the Alabama state line. A major goal of the Reserve is to provide for research coordination and dissemination of scientific data to the community and local decision-makers to provide sound information on which to base management decisions.
The 18,000-acre reserve is home to several rare or endangered plant and animal species and serves as an essential nursery habitat for numerous important commercial and recreational fish species. The Reserve is managed through state-federal partnership between the DMR and its local partners—Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi State University and the Nature Conservancy—and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at www.dmr.ms.gov.
Contact: Susan Lepoma Perkins, APR
Phone: (228) 523-4124
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