Wildlife Habitat Projects Begin on South Mississippi WMAs

As deer season comes to an end each year in South Mississippi, the season for wildlife habitat improvements is beginning. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) personnel will start prescribed burning on selected areas of state-owned WMAs in early February. The seasonal, controlled use of fire is essential to enhancing and maintaining habitat for numerous game and non-game species of wildlife. Prescribed burning reduces competition from undesirable woody plant species, reduces potential of wildfire, reduces disease risk for longleaf pine seedlings, and promotes growth of desirable herbaceous vegetation favorable to many wildlife species.

Once the spring growing season begins, MDWFP personnel will also begin treating non-native invasive plant species such as cogongrass. Spot treatments with selective chemical herbicides helps control many invasive species. These invasive species often have little to no wildlife habitat value, spread aggressively, and out-compete desirable native vegetation.

Additionally, timber harvest activities are planned for some state-owned WMAs. During the fall and winter, MDWFP personnel conduct timber inventory cruises and prioritize areas that need forest management. Selective timber thinning not only improves tree health but improves wildlife habitat as well by opening the forest canopy and allowing sunlight to reach the ground. Sunlight along with soil disturbance promotes the growth of desirable vegetation that provides food and cover for many wildlife species.

Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), formerly known as the Mississippi Game & Fish Commission, is an agency of the government of the U.S. state ofMississippi responsible for programs protecting Mississippi fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, as well as administering all state parks; it has its headquarters in Jackson. The agency issues hunting and fishing licenses, advises on habitat protection, and sponsors public education programs. It is also responsible for enforcement of Mississippi's fish and game laws. It is separate from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, which is the governing body for the state's natural salt-water resources and law enforcement thereof (i.e. Gulf of Mexico, ocean-going vessels, etc.).