Abstract:

Mississippi landowners were found to diversify incomes from their lands through fee-access outdoor recreation, including hunting, angling, wildlife watching, and other nature-based activities. In 1998, fee-access hunting revenues ranged from US$2,964-$5,254 on average/landowner or $7.50-$14.28/ha (Jones et al 2005). During 2005-2008, outdoor recreation increased Mississippi rural property values by 52% or $1,615/ha and those tracts that were leased for hunting collected over $61/ha on average (Jones unpublished data). Additionally, outdoor recreation in Mississippi, including hunting, angling, and wildlife viewing generated $2.7 billion in economic impact to the state in 2008 (Jones unpublished data). The Natural Resource Enterprises Program at Mississippi State University educates private landowners, resource agencies, and local communities about recreational enterprises, conservation management practices, and integration of these activities with sustainable forestry and agriculture through outreach programming and demonstrations. Since 2005, we have conducted 45 landowner workshops in 8 US states and Sweden and recruited an estimated 3,000 participants. Participants owned on average 505 ha comprised of 50% forests, 30% agriculture, 14% uncultivated or fallow lands, and 6% wetlands and impoundments. Seventy-five percent of participants reported intentions to implement recreational operations, conservation, and sustainable land-use practices on their lands (1.0 million ha) and estimated that they would average an additional $25,208 annually from these activities. Outreach programming promoting fee-access recreation and conservation on privately-owned lands can benefit landowners and local communities through sustainable economic development, environmental conservation, and land stewardship and retention.