On Monday, Secretary of State Michael Watson presented the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources with a check of $6.39 million in Tidelands Trust Fund amounts collected during Fiscal Year 2025.
Over the life of the Tidelands Trust Fund Program – created in 1989 to collect money from onshore gaming and rents from leases on state-owned tidelands and other submerged lands – a total of $216,335,667 has been delivered. The money is used for projects dedicated to conserving and preserving the state’s tidelands while enhancing public access and economic development across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“It is a privilege to return these funds to the coast each year. As the first Secretary of State from the Gulf Coast, I have a unique perspective on the significance of the Mississippi Tidelands,” Watson said. “Ensuring we preserve such a beautiful and important resource, improve public access, and spur economic development when possible are just a few of the priorities of our office. All of Mississippi benefits when the coast works together to manage some of the state’s most treasured property.”
After Monday’s check was presented by Watson on behalf of the Gulf Coast legislative delegation, MDMR executive director Joe Spraggins voiced his appreciation to both Watson and the lawmakers’ work and entrusted the agency to manage the funds.
“The Tidelands Trust Fund supports vital projects that preserve and enhance our coastal habitats, promote marine education, and improve public access to the waterways that make the Mississippi Gulf Coast so special,” Spraggins said. “We appreciate Secretary Watson and our legislators for entrusting our agency to manage these funds, which continue to make a meaningful difference for our coastal communities.”
Currently, Mississippi owns approximately 720,000 acres of Public Trust Tidelands. A full list of Fiscal Year 2026 projects that the latest check can be used on, pursuant to a Senate bill passed earlier this year, can be found here.