MSU, partners receive East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape Designation
Contact: Sid Salter
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University, along with several state and military partners, are announcing that the East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape (EMSL) has officially been selected for designation by the federal Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, recognizing the region’s national importance to military readiness, working lands conservation, and long-term landscape resilience.
The application was submitted by MSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development, the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, Governor’s Office of Military Affairs, Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB), and Naval Air Station Meridian (NASMER), along with a broad coalition of federal, state, local, nonprofit, industry and private landowners partners across East Mississippi.
“This designation recognizes something Mississippians have long understood—our forests, farms, rural communities and military installations are deeply connected,” said Secretary Michael Watson. “The East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape protects nationally critical pilot training missions while also strengthening working lands, conservation efforts, outdoor recreation, and the rural way of life that defines much of our state.”
“Mississippi State University is proud to support the East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape and the partnerships that made this designation possible,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “Through our Office of Research and Economic Development, College of Forest Resources, Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, and MSU Extension Service, we look forward to helping landowners, communities and partner agencies implement science-based solutions that strengthen working lands, conservation, and military readiness across East Mississippi. This effort reflects the core of our land-grant mission—serving Mississippi through research, outreach and collaboration.”
Governor Tate Reeves praised the designation as a major accomplishment for Mississippi and the nation’s defense mission.
“Mississippi continues to play a vital role in supporting America’s military readiness and national security,” said Gov. Reeves. “This designation recognizes the importance of the working forests, farms and rural communities that support the missions at CAFB and NASMER. It also highlights Mississippi’s ability to bring together military leaders, landowners, conservation partners, universities and state agencies around a shared vision that strengthens both our economy and our national defense.”
The designation helps align federal, state and private resources to address growing challenges such as incompatible development, loss of working lands, wildfire risk, infrastructure resilience, habitat degradation, and long-term mission compatibility across the broad rural geography supporting military operations.
MSU will play a central role in implementation by hosting the future Sentinel Landscape coordinator and supporting landscape-scale planning, geospatial coordination, landowner engagement and applied research efforts.
The EMSL encompasses millions of acres of working forests, farms, river systems and military training airspace across East Mississippi. More than 90 percent of the landscape is privately owned, making voluntary landowner participation and local collaboration central to the initiative’s success.