Pascagoula river scenic trail --- the state of mississippi, through the mississippi department of environmental quality (MDEQ), is the recipient of restore act spill impact component funds for the…

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council awarded $2,667,583 to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) under the Oil Spill Impact Program (CFDA 87.052) on May 22, 2025, for the Pascagoula River Scenic Trail project. Under a subaward agreement, the Jackson County Board of Supervisors will implement construction activities to develop the 65-mile Pascagoula River Blueway Connection, a mapped and marked scenic trail featuring nature-based recreational amenities along the Pascagoula River. The project will support coastal tourism promotion in the Gulf Coast region while providing public access to diverse ecosystems including bottomland hardwood forests, cypress swamps, and coastal marshes that serve as habitat for over 320 bird species and other wildlife.

The project is scheduled for completion by May 31, 2028, and represents funding under the RESTORE Act Spill Impact Component, which disburses civil penalty funds from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund to support restoration and economic revitalization of regions impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Pascagoula River Scenic Trail aligns with the program's objectives to support coastal infrastructure development and economic development initiatives that benefit the Gulf Coast economy and communities.

Pascagoula river scenic trail --- the state of mississippi, through the mississippi department of environmental quality (MDEQ), is the recipient of restore act spill impact component funds for the pascagoula river scenic trail project. Under a subaward with MDEQ, the jackson county board of supervisors will implement this project. This project supports the promotion of tourism in the gulf coast region through the construction of amenities along a scenic trail by the pascagoula river. Known as the pascagoula river blueway connection, the 65-mile pascagoula river scenic trail will feature mapped and marked waters. The project will offer nature-based experiences along the pascagoula river, winding through bottomland hardwood forests, cypress swamps, and coastal marshes. The watershed also contains a network of diverse lakes, bayous, and sandbars, providing habitat to a wide range of wildlife, including over 320 bird species such as the mississippi sandhill crane and the swallow-tailed kite. The primary purpose of the project is to support construction activities to develop the pascagoula river scenic trail.