MSU-supported proposal advances to final round for federal Sentinel Landscape designation
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi is one step closer to a federal Sentinel Landscape designation through the advancement of a proposal developed by the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, Governor’s Office of Military Affairs and Mississippi State University to the final round of consideration.
The East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape proposal outlines a pathway for ensuring rural working lands do not conflict with defense missions at Columbus Air Force Base and the Naval Air Station Meridian.
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is a joint effort of the U.S. Departments of Defense, Agriculture and the Interior, with the goal to advance sustainable land use practices around military installations and ranges. After the Mississippi delegation’s initial expression of interest was approved, the full proposal will be submitted to the Federal Coordinating Committee this fall for final consideration.
The collaboration that led to this outcome has been led by MSU Associate Vice President for Research Narcisa Pricope in close coordination with the Mississippi Conservation Task Force established by the Secretary of State’s Office. The proposal benefitted from stakeholder input gathered during the inaugural Pathways to Resilience Summit hosted at MSU last fall.
“Environmental security and national security are fundamentally linked, especially in regions where rural land use and military operations intersect,” Pricope said. “This proposal reflects a truly collaborative effort to safeguard Mississippi’s natural and working landscapes while supporting vital defense missions. I’m proud that MSU played a central role in convening diverse stakeholders and contributing geospatial expertise to advance this initiative. As we move forward, I look forward to helping shape sustainable land use strategies that enhance resilience and strengthen the region’s strategic importance.”
Pricope and MSU geosciences graduate student Salman Bashit provided data analytics to support the land boundaries and focus areas outlined in the proposal. The anticipated designation area includes forest lands, multiple river basins, tribal lands and agricultural areas.
Key components of the proposal include strategic land use in military buffer zones, conserving habitat and water resources, sustaining agriculture and forestry operations that are compatible with the military training taking place in Meridian and Columbus, as well as coordination efforts to support long-term resilience.
More information on the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership can be found at https://sentinellandscapes.org.
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