TIDELANDS TRUST FUND PROGRAM
- Sonja Slater, Coordinator
- (228) 523-4138
- sonja.slater@dmr.ms.gov
WHAT IS THE TIDELANDS TRUST FUND?
The Tidelands Trust Fund is comprised of funds derived from the lease of tidelands and submerged lands. It is administered by the Secretary of State’s Office and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources as mandated by state law, Title 29 Section 15 of the Mississippi Code of 1972:
Any funds derived from lease rentals of tidelands and submerged lands, except those funds derived from mineral leases, or funds previously specifically designated to be applied to other agencies, shall be transferred to the special fund. However, funds derived from lease rentals may be used to cover the administrative cost incurred by the Secretary of State. Any remaining funds derived from lease rentals shall be disbursed pro rata to the local taxing authorities for the replacement of lost ad Val orem taxes, if any. Then, any remaining funds shall be disbursed to the commission for new and extra programs of tidelands management, such as conservation, reclamation, preservation, acquisition, education, or the enhancement of public access to the public trust tidelands or public improvement projects as they relate to those lands.
WHAT ARE TIDELANDS?
Lands that are covered and uncovered daily by water from the action of the tides, up to the mean line of the ordinary high tides.
PROGRAM HISTORY
The Tidelands Trust Fund Program began in 1994. Its mission is to carry out state policy by balancing the 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.
Applications for Tidelands Trust Funds are accepted by Mississippi Department of Marine Resources each year.
- An in-house compliance review is conducted by Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’s tidelands administrator to ensure that all applications are complete and legible.
- The Merit Review Committee then begins its review process. The committee is comprised of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources cadre staff and various local experts from the marine science field. Their review process follows a project selection criterion which is 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 the commissioners review the applications, they are then submitted to the Legislature for appropriation in January. The Legislature has ultimate authority in deciding the appropriation of Tidelands funds.
- Mississippi Department of Marine Resources notifies all recipients of Tidelands funds by mail in May with the amount of money their projects will receive.
- Upon receipt of funds from the Secretary of State’s Office in December, Mississippi 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 stipulations, such as to provide Mississippi Department of Marine Resources with a semi-annual and 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. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources takes great pride in administering the Tidelands Trust Fund to the best interest of Mississippi’s marine resources.
AWARDED PROJECTS
Richards Bayou Dredging Project | City of Gulfport |
Broadwater Marina Public Access and Marina Basin Restoration | Secretary of State |
Kuhn St. Boat Ramp Parking Project Phase II | City of Biloxi |
Dredging Parker’s Creek | City of Biloxi |
Hiller Park Boat Launch | City of Biloxi |
Removable Restroom Units for the West Side of the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor | City of Gulfport |
D ‘Iberville Working Waterfront Harbor and Marina Public Access | City of D ‘Iberville |
Long Beach Harbor Improvements | City of Long Beach |
Secure Concrete Fillers at East Small Craft Harbor | City of Pass Christian |
20th Avenue and Hwy 90 Beach Side Parking Improvements – Phase I | Harrison County Board of Supervisors |
West Biloxi Boat Launch | Harrison County Board of Supervisors |
Long Beach Park Volleyball Court Improvements | Harrison County Board of Supervisors |
Washington Ave. at Front Beach Access | City of Ocean Springs |
Shepard State Park Upgrades | City of Gautier |
Mary Walker Bayou Parks | City of Gautier |
Public Safety Improvements to River Parks Piers | City of Pascagoula |
Rhodes Bayou Watershed Improvements Phase 1 | City of Moss Point |
Lake Mars Pier Expansion Project | Jackson County Board of Supervisors |
Race-Track Road Boat Launch Phase II | Jackson County Board of Supervisors |
Study to Analyze a Jetty System to Prevent Erosion of the Ocean Springs Front Beach | Jackson County Board of Supervisors |
Noma Drive Public Access Projects | City of Diamondhead |
Downtown Boardwalk Assistance | City of Bay St. Louis |
Marina Planning and Design Assistance | City of Waveland |
McLeod Park Bulkhead Improvements | Hancock County Board of Supervisors |
Seafood Museum Repairs caused by Hurricane Ida | Maritime Seafood Museum |
Grand Bay NERR Operations | MDMR |
Shellfish Sanitation Compliance Program | MDMR |
Sportfish Coordination | MDMR |
Sportfish Artificial Reef | MDMR |
Seafood Marketing | MDMR |
Grand Bay NERR Maintenance | MDMR |
Civil Air Patrol | MDMR |
Derelict Vessels | MDMR |
Human Resources Intern | MDMR |
Hydrological Monitoring | MDMR |
Lyman | MDMR |
Gulf Coast National Heritage | MDMR |
GOMA | MDMR |
Public Outreach | MDMR |
Marine Patrol Equipment | MDMR |
Port Security Grant Program 2020 – Gulfport | MDMR |
Port Security Grant Program 2020 – Pascagoula | MDMR |
MS Gulf Coast National Heritage Area | MDMR |
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Operations Match | MDMR |
Sportfish Restoration Act – Artificial Reef Program | MDMR |
Sportfish Restoration Coordination in Coastal MS | MDMR |
Shellfish Sanitation Compliance Program | MDMR |
Off-Bottom Oyster Aquaculture Program – Phase II | MDMR |
Mandatory Training for the Seafood Industry | MDMR |
Hydrological Monitoring | MDMR |
Monitoring MS Marine Resources | MDMR |
Marine Fisheries Administration | MDMR |
Lyman | MDMR |
MDMR Public Affairs Outreach Program | MDMR |
Civil Air Patrol | MDMR |
Derelict Vessels | MDMR |
Human Resources | MDMR |
Seafood Marketing | MDMR |
Marine Patrol – Jetties | MDMR |
Bay St. Louis Oyster Brood Stock | The Nature Conservancy |
IMMS Public Education and Outreach Program | IMMS |
GOMA | MDMR |
Bayou LaCroix Ward 6 Boat Launch | City of Bay St. Louis |
Kuhn Street Boat Launch | City of Biloxi |
Causeway Park Floating Dock Project | City of Biloxi |
Eagle Point Park Development | City of Biloxi |
Hiller Park Boat Launch | City of Biloxi |
D’Iberville Working Waterfront Harbor/Marina | City of D’Iberville |
Diamondhead Noma Drive Public Access Improvements | City of Diamondhead |
Mary Walker Bayou Parks Project | City of Gautier |
Shepard State Park Upgrades | City of Gautier |
Courthouse Road Boat Launch Maintenance Dredge | City of Gulfport |
Bernard Bayou James Hill Park Site Improvements | City of Gulfport |
Long Beach Harbor Improvements | City of Long Beach |
Long Beach Pavilion, Harbor and Volleyball Area | City of Long Beach |
Sunset Pier and Sidewalk Extension | City of Moss Point |
East Beach Accessibility – Phase II | City of Ocean Springs |
Improvements to River Parks Piers | City of Pascagoula |
West Small Craft Harbor | City of Pass Christian |
Boat Launch and Marina Planning Assistance | City of Waveland |
Clermont Harbor Pier Expansion | Hancock County |
Race Track Road Boat Launch | Jackson County BOS |
Maritime Classroom | Lynn Meadows |
Marine Patrol | MDMR |
Estuarine Education Center Comfort Station and Area Reclamation | MGCCC |
Ocean Springs Sidewalk Project | Ocean Springs MS |
Seafood Museum Hurrican Zeta Schooner Pier Repair | Seafood Museum |
MS Coastal Map | SMPD |
Marine Education Center Pier and Kayak | USM |