Mississippi sportsmen now have a way to easily access information on 16th Section Hunting and Fishing leases.

    The Secretary of State’s office recently announced that the new hunting and fishing lease feature available on their Web site, www.sos.ms.gov.

    “Mississippians interested in leasing hunting and fishing land from the state can get a comprehensive view of the land they are looking to lease through this program,” Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said in a written statement. “In many areas, the maps are so detailed, cars are actually visible on the roads.”

    On the new feature, deer will indicate leases that expire in 2010 and targets will indicate leases for which the bidding process is currently open. Also listed are the current amount of the lease, acreage, school district contact information, and the forest management plan for the particular parcel.

    “This new program is designed to increase the use of our hunting and fishing leases by the public throughout the state,” Hosemann said. “Hopefully, revenue will increase as well, meaning more money pumped back into our schools, and the less taxpayers will have to supplement our school systems. This is a win-win for everyone.”

    Based on current projections, school districts will generate roughly $2.8 million in hunting and fishing leases this year.

    To view the 16th Section Hunting and Fishing lease application directly, go to maps.thegeospatialgroup.com/SOS/HuntingLease.