Mississippi, USDA and federal partners sign Shared Stewardship MOU to coordinate forest management
Governor Tate Reeves has signed an updated Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) bringing the State of Mississippi together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Governor’s Office said.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission served as the lead state agency in developing the agreement, the Governor’s Office said. The MOU establishes a framework for state and federal agencies to coordinate forest management, align resources and support locally driven priorities across Mississippi.
Under the MOU, the USDA Forest Service will work with Mississippi to expand active forest management through prescribed fire, invasive species control, wildlife habitat improvement, forest product market development, Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects, wildfire risk reduction, and coordinated planning for natural disasters, research and cultural resource protection, the Governor’s Office said.
The following items were reported by Magnolia Tribune on Sept. 18, 2026:
National and foreign policy: The Hill reported that a three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the Trump administration to proceed with an overhaul of the Continuum of Care (CoC) homelessness program, pausing a Rhode Island federal judge’s March ruling that the changes were unlawful. The Hill said HUD sought to change rules governing $75 million for building housing and set $1.3 billion aside for transitional housing and supportive services; CoC funding goes to states, localities, tribes and nonprofits that rehouse people and families in need.
International: The Washington Post reported that the State Department has agreed to let Iran’s core delegation attend U.N. General Assembly High Level Week in New York. The Post said the travel documents will allow attendance at the General Assembly and that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the Assembly on Wednesday.
Sports: Magnolia Tribune reported that No. 8 Ole Miss will host No. 7 LSU in Oxford on Saturday with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. on ABC; the game is sold out and College GameDay will broadcast from the Grove with Morgan Freeman as the guest picker. Mississippi State travels to South Carolina (3:15 p.m., SEC Network). Southern Miss hosts UConn at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Magnolia Tribune also published a JUCO week 4 score roundup: East MS 25, East Central 20; Coahoma 33, Holmes 36; MS Delta 0, No. 14 Northwest 42; Northeast 0, Itawamba 31; Pearl River 13, Jones 20; Hinds 17, Southwest 10. One JUCO game remains this week: No. 10 Co-Lin at No. 3 MGCCC on Saturday.
Markets & business: Magnolia Tribune reported that Carlisle Clarke was named chief executive officer of Delta Council, becoming the organization’s fourth CEO. Clarke joins from Van Scoyoc Associates, where he was vice president after a 12-year Capitol Hill career. The Tribune noted Clarke formerly served as Majority Clerk of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, a panel with jurisdiction over more than $140 billion in annual spending.
Stocks: CNBC reported U.S. markets closed higher in the latest session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up about 316 points (0.6%), the S&P 500 up 1.1% and the Nasdaq Composite up 1.7%. CNBC said S&P 500 futures were relatively unchanged the following trading day and that, as of Thursday’s close, the Dow was down about 1.5% for the week, the S&P 500 down 0.3% and the Nasdaq up 0.3%.
Source: Magnolia Tribune
