Mississippi Code Title 29. Public Lands, Buildings and Property § 29-3-49

It shall be the duty of the State Forestry Commission, in the manner provided in Section 29-3-45, to enter into agreements for timber improvement purposes with the board of education upon the request of the board. The contract shall provide for the carrying out of a long-term program of timber improvement, including any or all of the following: The deadening of undesirable hardwoods, the planting of trees, the cutting and maintaining of fire lanes, and the establishment of marked boundaries on all lands classified as forest lands in the agreements, which provide for the reimbursement of all current costs incurred by the State Forestry Commission and the carrying out of the duties required by such agreements. In the alternative, the commission, in its discretion, may have the option to contract with a private contractor, subject to the approval of the board, to perform this work under the supervision of the commission. Payment of the reimbursements as hereinabove set forth to the Forestry Commission, or of compensation due under any such contract with private contractors shall be made upon presentation of itemized bills by the commission or the private contractors, as the case may be, and may be made out of any sixteenth section funds to the credit of, or accruing to, any school district in which such work shall be done, or out of any other funds available to such district, excluding total funding formula funds.