Scenic nod likely for river: Majority of landowners in favor of legislation for Bogue Chitto
By Ernest Herndon | Enterprise-Journal
Posted: 01/09/09 - 01:13:09 pm CST
It appears likely a bill nominating the Bogue Chitto River as a state scenic stream will go to the Legislature after a majority of landowners voted in favor of the measure at a public hearing Thursday night.
At the meeting at Percy Quin State Park, 19 landowners voted in favor of scenic status and 14 opposed. Program coordinator Andrew Whitehurst also received 16 written comments in favor and three against for a total of 35-17.
In addition, eight non-landowners voted for scenic status at the meeting, which about 50 people attended.
It’s now up to an advisory council to decide whether to ask state legislators to submit a bill including the Bogue Chitto in the state Scenic Streams Program. As of Thursday night, most of the advisory council members had voted to do so.
If the Legislature approves the nomination, the council will present a stewardship plan to landowners that includes voluntary agreements to use best management practices when logging along the river, and qualifies them for tax credits for those who create riverside conservation easements.
“We don’t require, but we ask that landowners use voluntary BMPs,” Whitehurst said.
“It’s about maintaining the streams for future generations.”
But one group of landowners said they already use BMPs and don’t want a government program imposed on the river.
Julius O’Quin, who owns 700 acres across from Bogue Chitto Water Park, said he has been sued for millions of dollars and claims his land has been damaged by the Pearl River Basic Development District, which owns the water park.
“You don’t know the history of this river,” he told Whitehurst.
“So you have walked into a hornets’ nest,” added fellow landowner Ray House.
Landowners faulted Whitehurst for choosing a 10-member advisory council with just two Pike County members, only one of whom owns land on the river.
Whitehurst said the council must represent a variety of interests. Other members were from Lincoln and Walthall counties.
The navigable portion of the Bogue Chitto runs from Boone Creek in Lincoln County to the Walthall County-Louisiana state line.
Walthall County landowner Chester Moore expressed fear that the scenic program is “the tip of the iceberg” that could morph into federal regulations, “and all of a sudden landowners essentially lose all their rights along the river.”Whitehurst countered, “The Mississippi Legislature is not a bunch of tree-huggers. They haven’t shown any inclination to regulate in this program.”
Six scenic stream measures that would have imposed restrictions on landowners failed to pass between 1968 to 1978. The Legislature approved the voluntary Scenic Streams Stewardship Act in 1999, and since then 10 streams have achieved scenic status, while two have failed to pass landowner muster, Whitehurst said.
Landowner Steve Stafford said the program will help prevent land management practices that damage the river. “There’s a lot of issues that this is trying to prevent,” he said.
Landowner Benton Gibson, a member of Southwest Mississippi Scenic Streams Association, stressed the educational value of the program, which will encourage landowners to protect the river.
“I think it’s a great thing for us to do. Nobody loves that river any more than I do, and nobody is more concerned about property rights than I am,” Gibson said.
Landowner Avery Rollins recalled opposing a 1968 proposal to dredge the Bogue Chitto from Pike County to the coast to open it to commercial boat traffic.
“I’ve seen what has happened to streams that didn’t have this type of protection,” Rollins said.
“We want it to be the way it is now 200 years from now.”
Whitehurst said this morning he will consult with the council before making a final decision to contact the Legislature. The council has until Wednesday to make the request.
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Dickey wrote on Jan 10, 2009 12:51 PM:
Have you ever heard of Wet Lands? This makes Wet Lands look puny.
Don't take my word, just dig up the facts from the land owners, not the Administrators. "