A small number of 16th Section land lease-holders are upset withthe Lincoln County School District for canceling some agriculturalleases as part of a state-level plan to revamp the use of sectionlands, school officials said Monday.

Superintendent Terry Brister said many such leases are beingreclassified at renewal time in preparation for conversion toforestry leases, a method recommended by the Mississippi Secretaryof State’s Office for districts to maximize 16th Section profits.The reclassification and subsequent loss of some agriculture leaseshave resulted in a few unhappy ex-lessees, he said.

However, Brister said the school board is not canceling the “bigoperations” – agricultural leases that provide farming familieswith their livelihood. He said the board is not evictingresidential leaseholders, though the price of residential leasesare likely to increase to state-mandated totals and no newresidential leases on 16th Section lands are likely.

“Delbert (Hosemann, secretary of state) told us to be reasonablewhile we’re doing this,” Brister said. “Only when it’s feasible,not just to take 16th Section land away.”

Brister said reclassified agriculture leases will be plantedwith trees and turned into forestry and hunting leases, allowingthe board to collect two forms of revenue from the same parcel.

“It’s more economical. You double it – you use forestry landsand hunting leases together,” he said.