William Carey professor sets state record for Freshwater Drum

Dr. John Smith, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, set a state record for freshwater drum on Dec 31.

Smith caught the record-setting fish, which weighed 30.63 pounds, during a fishing trip at Eagle Lake near Vicksburg.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks verified the record and added it to the department's online record.

Youth Art Contest: Students across the state are invited to get outdoors and participate in the 2016 North Mississippi Fish Hatchery Youth Art Contest. Each student must submit a portfolio including entry form and artwork to the Visitor Education Center by May 10.

The contest is sponsored by the Foundation for MDWFP. Winners in four age categories will have their work published in the Mississippi Outdoors magazine and receive a complimentary copy of the magazine. Winners will also receive gift cards and have their work posted on the MDWFP's website.

For additional details, call the VEC at 662-563-8068.

The VEC is part of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks' North Mississippi Fish Hatchery.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife seeking proposals: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want proposals from states and U.S. territories for nearly $54 million in federal financial assistance for conservation activities that benefit the nation's most imperiled species.

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, provides grants to support voluntary conservation projects for listed species and species that are candidates for listing. Funding for the program is partly derived from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses a portion of the revenue from offshore oil and gas leasing in federal waters for conservation.

The Service is seeking proposals in three categories: Recovery Land Acquisition Grants, Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants, and HCP Land Acquisition Grants.

To receive a CESCF grant, a state or territory must have a current cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior and contribute at least 25 percent of the total project cost, or 10 percent when two or more states or territories undertake a joint project. Proposals must be submitted electronically through grants.gov or to the appropriate Service regional offices by March 18.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 1:08 PM with the headline "William Carey professor sets state record for Freshwater Drum ."