Senate Concurrent Resolution 538

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN CERTAIN COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI WHICH ARE EXPERIENCING MAJOR EXPENSE AND SEVERE ECONOMIC IMPACT LOSS DUE TO ONGOING DROUGHT CONDITIONS CAUSING PINE BEETLE OUTBREAK AND DEAD TREE REMOVAL.

WHEREAS, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 33-15-11 and 33-15-301, Mississippi Code of 1972, which authorize the Governor to declare an emergency in counties in the State of Mississippi in which any natural disaster has occurred that has caused damage of sufficient severity and magnitude that will require massive state and/or federal assistance, the Legislature finds that the "pine beetle outbreak" in our state due to the ongoing drought meets the criteria for a "catastrophic disaster" which would authorize the implementation of action and relief programs of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; and

WHEREAS, the Pine Beetle Outbreak Due to Ongoing Drought Information received by the Legislature is as follows:

· The affected area consists of approximately 2.5 million acres in Mississippi;

· There are approximately 811,111 spots covering 80,415 acres;

· 12.5 million trees were estimated to be dead by the end of December 2023;

· $96 Million is the estimated economic impact loss;

· Miles of power line and utility rights-of-way are and will continue to be impacted by the dead trees;

· Counties are making major expenditures to keep road rights-of-way (ROW'S) clear of falling trees;

· MDOT has already and will continue to have major expense to keep rights-of-way (ROW'S) clear of falling trees;

· Municipalities will also have same issues as county and state rights-of-way (ROW'S);

· Residential and metropolitan areas are being impacted with only one option to remove dead trees before falling on homes and businesses, which is high-cost tree removal that some people can't afford;

· Insect outbreaks run in two— to three-year cycles. The second year is always worse than the first year. Already reports of beetles swarming in unbelievable numbers this year;

· Beetles have not wintered as they normally do and have continued to kill more trees all through the winter as if it were still fall or summer; and

WHEREAS, it has been found that local resources are unable to cope with the effects of said emergency:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby request the Governor to declare a state of emergency in certain counties in Mississippi which are experiencing major expense and severe economic impact loss due to ongoing drought conditions causing pine beetle outbreak and dead tree removal, and authorize the implementation of action and relief programs of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency as appropriate.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Mississippi and the Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.