Senate Bill 2922

AN ACT TO ENACT THE MISSISSIPPI FORESTRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING ACT OF 2002; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI INSTITUTE FOR FOREST INVENTORY; TO SPECIFY ITS POWERS AND DUTIES; TO ESTABLISH A BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE INSTITUTE; TO CREATE A FORESTRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITHIN THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; TO SPECIFY THE POWERS AND DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE COORDINATION OF EFFORT TO CREATE A FOREST INVENTORY BY JULY 1, 2004; TO CREATE A FOREST RESOURCES PARTNERSHIP TO AID THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; TO PROVIDE FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE FOREST RESOURCES PARTNERSHIP; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the "Mississippi Forestry Economic Development and Strategic Planning Act of 2002."

SECTION 2. (1) There is hereby created the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory. The institute shall be governed by a board of directors. The board shall consist of eleven (11) members. The Director of the Mississippi Automated Resource Information System; the Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority, or his designee; the Dean of the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University or Director of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, or his designee; and the State Forester, or his designee; shall be ex officio members with full voting power. The Governor shall appoint seven (7) members with the advice and consent of the Senate. From these seven (7) members, one (1) member shall be appointed from each congressional district and the initial terms shall be one (1), two (2), three (3) and four (4) years, respectively. The remainder shall be appointed from the state at large, with two (2) members serving an initial term of five (5) years and one (1) member serving a term of six (6) years. After the expiration of the initial terms, the terms shall be six (6) years.

The Governor shall appoint at least one (1) member from each of the following categories: a private nonindustrial forest landowner, a Mississippi registered forester, a representative of the timber harvesting industry, a representative of the forest products industry, a certified wildlife or fisheries biologist, and a representative of an environmental organization.

(2) The board shall appoint a director of the institute who serves at the will and pleasure of the board. Members of the board may be reimbursed for mileage and actual and necessary expenses as provided under Section 25-3-41.

(3) The board shall have the following powers:

(a) To apply for and accept any grants or gifts in furtherance of the institute's duties;

(b) Expend or distribute any federal, state or local funds and contributions, gifts or funds from any private or public source;

(d) To do all acts necessary to carry out the duties of the institute.

SECTION 3. (1) The duties and responsibilities of the institute shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) To facilitate the development and implementation of a statewide forest resource inventory necessary for a sustainable forest-based economy on or before July 1, 2004, and thereafter on a continuing basis with updated published data;

(b) Analyze and publish a detailed report of Mississippi's forest resource inventory by January 1, 2005;

(c) Conduct and publish data for subsequent and supporting inventories of forest resources in the years following the initial full inventory;

(d) Develop policies to aid in the implementation of the inventory information and reports;

(e) Submit an annual report to the Legislature on the institute's funding, expenditures, accomplishments and recommendations.

(2) In accomplishing its duties and formulating the recommendations required of it, the institute may elicit the support of and participation by any commercial, industrial, governmental, environmental, minority and public interest organizations or associations, or individual members thereof, and any federal, state and local agencies and political subdivisions as may be necessary or appropriate in the furtherance of the activities of the institute.

SECTION 4. (1) In recognition of the development of forest related industries as a major component in the Mississippi Development Authority's economic development plan, there is hereby created within the Mississippi Development Authority a forest resources economic development program with a dedicated position for the program.

(2) The program shall perform the following duties:

(a) Develop a database of manufacturing capacity and output in primary and secondary forest-related industries and update it periodically as necessary.

(b) Assess the potential of financial incentives and other factors to impact forestry-related economic development as related to new and existing forest industry.

(c) Analyze and publish data on volume, quality, size and ownership of forest resources to provide support for new and existing forest industry.

(d) Maintain a constant assessment of potential impacts of national and international markets for all forest-based industry including but not limited to forest certification.

(e) Develop a coordinated system for disseminating forest-based economic information to present and potential forest industry, other agencies and entities, and private landowners with potential influence on the economic impact of forestry in Mississippi. Support the Forest and Wildlife Research Center at Mississippi State University and other related agencies in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information on forest resources as related to economic development.

(f) Monitor international conditions in the global forest economy, assess the implication of these conditions for the economy of Mississippi, and distribute this information on a timely basis with suggestions for mitigating responses.

SECTION 5. (1) To assist the Mississippi Development Authority with the forest resources economic development program, the executive director is authorized and directed to create the Mississippi Forest Resources Partnership. The executive director shall appoint members from the following: Mississippi Development Authority representative, Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources dean/director of the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Forest Industry representative, consulting forester, conservation community representative, timber harvesting industry representative, Mississippi State University Forestry and Wildlife and Fisheries Extension representative, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce representative, County Forestry Association representative (forest landowner), Mississippi Technology Alliance director, Mississippi Forestry Commission representative, Mississippi Forestry Association representative, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation representative, hardwood forest resources representative and a representative from any other sector the executive director deems desirable. The members of the partnership shall elect a chairman, vice chairman and secretary.

(2) The partnership shall:

(a) Advise the Mississippi Development Authority on economic development issues and strategically plan for improvement in the management and use of the state's forest resources and forest-related industry.

(b) Advise the Legislature on needed legislation and evaluate proposed legislation that impacts or enhances forest resource-based economic development.

(3) The Mississippi Development Authority may provide technical, clerical and other support services as the partnership may require in the performance of its duties.

SECTION 6. (1) The Mississippi Forest Resources Partnership shall meet at least quarterly to review research, extension, and other state-supported programs and other forestry data and information and to plan for the dissemination and transfer of information that is applicable to forest resources.

(2) The members listed in subsection (1) may add a representative of any agency that has separate but related or interrelated interests over forestry activities.

SECTION 7. In order to better enable the citizens of Mississippi to gain economic value from their forest resources, the directors of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center and the Extension Service at Mississippi State University are authorized and directed to increase their outreach and extension programs. These programs will serve to educate, train, empower and stimulate landowners, loggers, producers, professionals and industry to become involved in forest-related economic development.

SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.