Great news for disadvantaged communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast was proclaimed on Thursday, May 1 as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $2,499,800 grant to The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP).
Cesar Zapata, acting deputy regional administrator for EPA’s Region 4 office, along with EPA Gulf of Mexico Division Director Marc Wyatt shared details at the Land Trust’s Bennett Bayou Preserve on the banks of the Pascagoula River in Moss Point.
Part of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Program, this five-year project will provide assistance to disadvantaged communities within the six coastal counties of Mississippi toward identifying projects to improve environmental conditions in their communities. As Marc Wyatt noted, “The grant process can be cumbersome for communities to navigate, so this program seeks to help identify and support good projects.”
Land Trust Executive Director Sara Guice is excited about helping communities find nature-based solutions, but most importantly, helping them navigate a competitive grant process.
“The Land Trust can handle the grant infrastructure background necessary to develop projects,” Guice said. “We look forward to working with interested communities to identify nature-based solutions that can be funded.”
The grant will allow The Land Trust to assist communities and administer a competitive sub-award program to fund projects that can cover a range of opportunities from training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution. Building and supporting community engagement is a key to the program.
Mayor Billy Knight’s perspective is that “The City of Moss Point is always open to partners like The Land Trust to help improve environmental issues, especially by engaging our citizens. We are all in this together.”
For more information about the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, click here.