Local hunters and fishermen can get more information about leasing 16th Section state land via Vicksburg native and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s Web site.

“Mississippians interested in leasing hunting and fishing land from the state can get a comprehensive view of the land they are looking to lease through this program,” Hosemann said in a release. “In many areas, the maps are so detailed, cars are actually visible on the roads.”

The Web site provides information about 16th Section leases set to expire this year, as well as detailed information on the roughly 7,000 tracts of 16th Section land currently under lease.

The 16th Section lands are state-owned parcels leased to benefit local school districts. The land is typically leased for farming, hunting, fishing, recreational, industrial or residential uses. A total of 108 school districts in the state, including Vicksburg Warren School District, manage or receive income from some 640,000 acres of land leased as 16th Section.

Local school boards serve as trustees of 16th Section lands and are responsible for leasing the land and managing it. The Secretary of State’s Office serves as a supervisory trustee, and works with school districts to insure that the lands are well managed and that lease revenues are maximized.

Hosemann’s Web site now features the current lease price for all 16th Section deals, as well as total acreage of each tract, school district contact information and the forest management plan for each parcel. Hosemann said he hopes the new features will increase school districts’ lease collections, “meaning more money pumped back into our schools, and the less taxpayers will have to supplement our school systems.”

As the keynote speaker of the Vicksburg Main Street Program annual meeting in January, Hosemann spoke about the importance of increasing and managing 16th Section revenues. Through reviewing and approving all 16th Section land lease contracts during fiscal year 2008, Hosemann said his office was able to increase lease collections to $77 million, from $54 million the fiscal year previous.

In Warren County, the 16th Section lands principal fund is at $3.8 million, he said.

Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com