RESTORE
Improve your land with RESTORE Act funding through the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s landowner program- Free if you qualify.
What is RESTORE?
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released over 134 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of America, resulting in extensive environmental and economic damage across the Gulf Coast. In response, the U.S. Congress enacted the RESTORE Act in 2012. This legislation directs 80% of the Clean Water Act civil and administrative penalties from the spill into the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, supporting long-term restoration and economic recovery in the region (Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, 2017).
MFC RESTORE Program
MFC received a $7.25 million RESTORE grant to enhance forest resources that are vital to the health of the Gulf Coast. Implementing the USDA’s Forested Watershed Restoration framework, MFC aims to improve water quality and ecosystem resilience through offering free activities such as:
• Conducting prescribed burns on private lands
• Developing sustainable forest management plans for landowners
• Certifying properties under the American Tree Farm System (ATFS)
These efforts will reduce erosion, filter runoff, and bolster the natural infrastructure that protects Mississippi’s coastal and inland communities.
Other activities could include:
• Tree planting
• Invasive plant treatment
• Mulching
• Permanent firebreaks
Project Areas
The highlighted watersheds have been identified as priority areas by the MS Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) through a statewide framework designed to advance Clean Water Act goals. This prioritization is based on watershed-scale metrics reflecting environmental value, human welfare, and potential stressors and is intended to guide restoration and conservation efforts across MS.
Who Qualifies?
- Private non‑industrial and public landowners in coastal or priority watershed regions of Mississippi.
- Forested acres fall within Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, George, Stone, or Pearl River counties.
- Properties that support healthy forested watersheds and contribute to Gulf water quality goals.
- Applicants who have not participated in the Forest Resource Development Cost Share Program during the current fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
RESTORE Promotional Video
Apply today and see if you are eligible.
If you are a landowner in Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, George, Stone, or Pearl River counties, click on the application below to see if you are eligible for free financial or technical assistance to improve the Gulf’s water quality.
For information on the MFC RESTORE Program, please contact your Area Forester using the Forester Finder.
