Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi is one of seven southeastern states that will receive grant money from The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to restore vanishing longleaf pine forests.

The grants are part of Southern Company’s partnership with the NFWF Longleaf Stewardship Fund, which is a public-private partnership including the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Sixteen projects were selected to receive support across the Southern Company service territory. In Mississippi, nearly 642,000 longleaf pine trees will be planted on 1,180 acres of private lands in south-central Mississippi. Also, the Nature Conservancy will create a local coalition to determine longleaf restoration goals, burn 650 acres and plant longleaf on 200 acres in areas around DeSoto National Forest and Camp Shelby. 

“During a decade of working with NFWF and others to conserve longleaf pine forests, we have learned that strong, diverse partnerships are the key to achieving meaningful results,” said Bob Fairbank, governmental and environmental manager at Mississippi Power. “These new projects, and the increased resources of our new partners, will expand and accelerate critical habitat restoration and engage the public in our growing region.”

Partnering through Longleaf Stewardship Fund is one of many ways Mississippi Power continues its role as an environmental steward. The company’s nationally-recognized Renew Our Rivers campaign, which resumes in October, has removed more than 200 tons of trash and debris from waterways in the Mississippi Power service territory since 2005.

Another project popular with customers is Harrison County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, also known as BRING IT! This annual event has collected more than 300 tons of hazardous materials from county residents since 1995.

“We recognize the significant role we play in the communities we serve,” Fairbank said. “That means helping take care of those communities environmentally, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

Mississippi Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves approximately 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. 

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