Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program

Cat Island, a 2,802 acre barrier island and salt marsh in Harrison County, Mississippi, is made up ofa variety of ecosystems, including subtidal estuarine habitat, a barrier island pond/lagoon complex withpine-oak woodland, and offshore sea grass beds and mollusk reefs.The island is an excellent feeding, resting,and overwintering ground for migratory birds. Among the rare and endangered species which can befound on Cat Island are: American alligator, American kestrel, beach sand-squares, black-crowned nightheron, fan-shaped yellow-eyed grass, Gulf rockrose, Mississippi diamondback terrapin, myrtle-leaf oak,osprey, slender-leaf clammy-weed, and snowy plover. Cat Island is also a known rookery for the least ternand the black skimmer. Cat Island was privately owned until the island was transferred to the Gulf IslandsNational Seashore in 2000.Regulation:There are two levels of regulations within the Mississippi portion of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.First, the entire barrier island system is managed by the NPS as a National Seashore. In addition, Hornand Petit Bois Islands are federally-designated wilderness areas.The regulations issued by the NPS for the National Seashore can be found at 36 C.F.R § 7.12. In general,the following types of recreation are allowed within the National Seashore: fishing, swimming, boating,and hiking. Camping is also allowed on East Ship, Horn, and Petit Bois Islands. The use of personalwatercraft is prohibited. (36 C.F.R. § 3.24).Approximately 1,800 acres of the National Seashore received heightened protection when Horn andPetit Bois Islands were designated wilderness areas in 1978 (Public Law 95-625, 92 Stat. 3489 (Nov.10, 1978)).These islands are managed in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1131-1136),which requires the NPS to administer the area “for the use and enjoyment of the American people in suchmanner as will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness.” A wilderness is“anarea where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man.” It is also defined as “an areaof undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvementsor human habitation . . .” (16 U.S.C. § 1131(c)). No commercial enterprise, permanent road, structuresor installations are allowed in wilderness areas. Motorized vehicles and equipment are also prohibited.(16 U.S.C. §1133(c)).Primary Information Sources:Gulf Islands National Seashore website - http://www.nps.gov/guis/Mississippi DMR GEMS website - http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/Coastal-Ecology/GEMS/Gems-Home.htmGulf Island National SeashoreCourtesy of National Park ServiceMarine Protected Areas in the Gulf of Mexico: A Survey 9 100