Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 57 - PLANNING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (§§ 57-NEW-001 — 57-123-55) › Chapter 1 - MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (§§ 57-NEW-001 — 57-1-783) › FORESTRY FACILITY GRANT PROGRAM (§§ 57-1-781 — 57-1-783) › Section 57-1-783 - Definitions; application for forestry facility grants; criteria for prioritizing projects; grant award amounts; eligible costs of grant funds; Forestry Facility Grant Program Fund created

(1)
For the purposes of this section:
(a)
"Under public control" means held or controlled by the public, or held by a public option.
(b)
"Growth-to-drain" means a one and five (1.5) growth to one (1) drain ratio of trees within a fifty-mile radius of the facility, which can be verified by the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
(c)
"Eligible recipients" shall mean a forestry facility project that satisfies the criteria as outlined in this section, and has applied for grant funding to install utility, infrastructure and transportation projects only. A recipient will be found to be ineligible for a grant, if their project seeks to use grant funding for construction of their facility or project.
(d)
"The committee" means a committee consisting of the Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority, Chief of Economic Development, the MDA Forest Products expert, an appointee from the Governor's office and an appointee from the Lieutenant Governor's office, that is tasked with approving grant recipients in accordance with this section.
(2)
Eligible applicants include municipalities, county governments, existing forestry product facilities and regional economic development entities. To apply, applicants must submit their proposals to the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). The MDA shall accept applications from eligible recipients, prioritize these applications and submit suggested recipients to the committee by no later than December 1. Beginning July 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, the committee shall review the submitted list and choose to award grants to the eligible recipients through the Mississippi Development Authority. The MDA will consider and prioritize projects in relation to the following criteria:
(a)
The project has a minimum investment of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00);
(b)
The project site utilizes at least fifty (50) acres of land under public control;
(c)
Applicant proposes to use funds for the purpose of utility, infrastructure and/or transportation development;
(d)
The project produces a high level of public benefit;
(e)
The project demonstrates best practices and complies with the required growth-to-drain ratio;
(f)
The project will comply with and expand upon existing infrastructure in the community;
(g)
The distribution of geographic size and location of the project; and
(h)
The applicant can demonstrate the ability of the proposed project to be completed on time.
(3)
The Mississippi Development Authority shall provide grant funds to the forestry facility projects as approved by the committee upon completion of the project. Award amounts shall not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the total infrastructure project cost. Grantees shall not receive compensation for expenses related to the construction of their project.
(4)
Eligible costs of grant funds include the acquisition of land and any improvements thereon, the installation of power lines, gas lines, water systems, sewage systems, roads, railroads and other infrastructure-related projects that are necessary for project completion and/or expansion, and complying with existing community needs and infrastructure.
(5)
Grants may be awarded for both existing projects and development of prospective sites. In the latter case, the project shall be made to help establish or complete a forestry products project.
(6)
Public grantees must adhere to Mississippi state procedures and guidelines as it relates to the implementation and financing of the approved project. Grantees must also submit any and all audit financial statements as required by the State of Mississippi.
(7)
There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Forestry Facility Grant Program Fund," which may be established with a sum of up to Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00). Awards authorized under the Forestry Facility Grant Program shall be disbursed by the Mississippi Development Authority. The fund shall consist of monies appropriated by the Legislature and funds received as grants, endowments or gifts from the federal government, its agencies and instrumentalities and funds from any other available sources, public or private. Any unexpended monies remaining in the fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year, shall not lapse to the State General Fund, but shall remain in the fund.
(8)
The Director of the Mississippi Development Authority shall establish, administer, manage, and make expenditures and allocations of grant funds and shall establish guidelines for applications, evaluations and awards of grant funds. The MDA shall utilize no more than two percent (2%) of funds awarded to the program for administrative expenses.
(9)
To carry out this section and Section
57-1-781
, the Mississippi Development Authority may enter into cooperative agreements with entities in the public and private sectors, including:
(a)
Primary forestry product mills and residual forest products facilities;
(b)
Companies in a recognized forestry-related industry;
(c)
State and local agencies; and
(d)
Nonprofit organizations for economic development.
(10)
The Mississippi Development Authority may require that recipients seek and secure technical assistance from the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The Mississippi Forestry Commission will provide administrative support to local forestry project grantees to ensure proper growth-to-drain criteria as defined herein.
Added by Laws, 2023, ch. 332, SB 2525,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2023.