Natural Resource Enterprises Program

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Natural Resource Enterprises Program
W. Daryl Jones and Katherine Jacobs, Mississippi
State University
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Program Description

• The Natural Resource Enterprises (NRE) Program at
  Mississippi State University provides resources
  and training for private landowners interested in
  developing natural resource on private lands into
  a sustainable income source.
• A variety of enterprises can be developed from
  natural resources.
• Fee hunting
• Fee fishing
• Wildlife watching
• Trail riding
• Agritourism
• Heritage tourism

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Program Mission Statement

• Effective information delivery
• Science-based information
• Well informed landowner and community leader
  clientele
• Income from sustainable enterprise development

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Outreach Efforts

• Goal is to educate landowners, natural resource
  professionals, and community leaders about
  developing and managing recreational businesses
  based on natural resources.
• To facilitate this process, several types of
  media and outreach activities are used.
• Landowner Workshop Series
• NRE Website - www.naturalresources.msstate.edu
• Landowner Newsletter
• Landowner DVD
• Landowner Wildlife Management Manual
• Mississippi Outdoors Radio Show

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Demonstrations Areas

• Provide tangible examples of wildlife management
  and functioning natural resource enterprises.
• Two permanent educational centers will have
  comprehensive programs and multi-topic
  demonstration areas including
• Nature trail design
• Sustainable forestry practices
• Agritourism
  
• Backyard habitat management
• Wildlife management (supplemental food plots,
  farm pond management) integrated with agriculture
• Native prairie and grassland restoration
• Wetland management
• Outdoor recreation management

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Research Funded through NRE

• Projects provide technical information that is
  needed by landowners in establishing or operating
  an enterprise.
• Directly applicable to the outreach component of
  the program
• Results can be readily disseminated to policy
  makers, community resource development
  organizations, landowners, and land managers.
• Current research topics include
• Wildlife habitat management
• Economic impact studies
• Enterprise management practices
• Legal issues and liability reduction

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Program contact information

• Dr. Daryl Jones, Program Coordinator
• djones_at_cfr.msstate.edu
• www.naturalresources.msstate.edu
• [phone]
• Box 9690, Mississippi State, MS 39762