USDA NOMINEE TELLS HYDE-SMITH OKHISSA LAKE MODEL IS ‘BRILLIANT’

USDA NOMINEE TELLS HYDE-SMITH OKHISSA LAKE MODEL IS 'BRILLIANT'

Citing Okhissa Lake, Hyde-Smith Questions Nominee on Targeted USFS Land Transfers for Economic Development

VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Questions USDA Nominee on Rural Development and the Forest Service.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today expressed optimism after President Trump's pick to oversee the U.S. Forest Service called the land transfer model for the Okhissa Lake development project in Franklin County "brilliant" and a potential model for other developments in national forests.

Michael Boren, nominated to be the USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, discussed Lake Okhissa as part of his confirmation hearing testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm pleased Mr. Boren is open not only to working with us on Lake Okhissa, but on overall policies to see that more public benefits can be derived from our national forests. I'm optimistic about his leading the Forest Service and managing the many issues facing that agency. I also hope we can get him to Mississippi soon," Hyde-Smith said following the hearing.

Continued progress is being made on a lodge and conference center at Okhissa Lake after Hyde-Smith secured a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill to transfer 150 acres of the Homochitto National Forest to the nonprofit Scenic Rivers Development Alliance for a rural development project.

"The goal of this effort is to enable smart, locally-driven development that complements the natural resources and increases public access," Hyde-Smith said Tuesday. "I look forward to continuing working with this committee in supporting economic development in this very, very rural area of Mississippi - two small towns, one of them has a red light, the other one doesn't."

"Mr. Boren, please share how you view this kind of targeted land transfer for economic development and what kind of support the Forest Service could provide to ensure the success of this project, both for the community and maintaining stewardship of the surrounding lands," Hyde-Smith asked Boren.

"In terms of your project at Lake Okhissa, I think it's brilliant. I think it's replicable. I think it's the kind of thing that we need to try to do throughout our forest to increase access and use of the forests," Boren said. "I don't know that we would have to do it just the way you did it, but the idea is really important to get people opportunities to benefit from the use of the forests."

Hyde-Smith also asked Boren how he plans to approach management within the U.S. Forest Service, especially in terms of streamlining project approvals, coordinating with state and local partners, and "making sure decisions keep on-the-ground realities in mind."

"Even in challenging times, public and private forests in Mississippi have been at the forefront of common-sense forest management that helped keep us healthy, working, and productive," said Hyde-Smith, adding that a new Farm Bill and other legislation could provide more support for timber and wood products from the national forests.

"We hope to create more opportunities to support this industry that's very critical to my state, and to improve the essential tools that we need at the Forest Service to increase the pace and scale of active forest management in Mississippi and across the country," the Senator continued.

Boren acknowledged the challenges facing the Forest Service, which manages more than 1.2 million acres of national forest property throughout Mississippi.

"I think what it comes down to is we have a lot large tasks ahead of us with the Forest Service, in all the areas you mentioned," Boren said. "We need coordination with other entities, state agencies, user groups, and other organizations that want to put skin in the game and be helpful."

The Senate Agriculture Committee must still vote to recommend Boren's confirmation to the full Senate.

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