Natural Resource Enterprises
White-tailed Deer, photo by Paul T. Brown

Business Resources: Financial Considerations

There is much to consider when planning a natural-resource based business. In order to ensure that there will be enough funding for the business, the person starting the business may wish to take out a loan. These publications give information on finding lenders and determining how much financial assistance is needed. Also provided is information on programs that can help fund a business.

These resources have been compiled from various resources and agencies and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please if you find information that needs to be updated, broken links, or if you have an additional resource you feel is pertinent.

Outdoor Recreation & Property Values in MS

Hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation on your property actually increase the property value of your land. Researchers at MSU conducted a survey in 2006 to evaluate sales values of private rural lands that were purchased primarily for recreational uses in Mississippi during 2002-2005. The evaluation was conducted jointly by MSU and the Mississippi Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and comprised 100 properties totaling approximately 33,000 acres.

Recreational uses contributed an average increase of $333 per acre or an increase of 36% in property value. Property characteristics that increased sales price were acres of bottomland hardwood forests, mixed
pine-hardwood forests, and wildlife supplemental food plots. So, when landowners enhance outdoor recreational opportunities on their properties and those areas that support wildlife and fish, they increase the value of their properties and the price the property might bring if sold. In other words, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation on Mississippi private lands means money in the pockets of landowners.

Read the full article "Outdoor Recreational Opportunities Increase Property Values in Mississippi"