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MDWFP plays early role in state's Katrina response.

Article Excerpt
Before Hurricane Katrina made landfall August 29, Sam Polles was ready for action.

As head of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) --a supporting agency under Gov. Haley Barbour's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan--Polles sent 50 wildlife officers with boats, ATVs, trucks, chainsaws and bivouac equipment to the hardest hit areas of the Gulf Coast to assist with search-and-rescue missions and other law enforcement tasks as directed by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

Department personnel also assisted with the evacuation of the injured, and aided emergency and medical personnel.

The Mississippi Business Journal caught up with Polles to ask him about the category four storm's impact on the state's natural resources that he supervises and the department's budget, diverted plans and upcoming changes.

Mississippi Business Journal: What role is the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries & Parks playing in the relief and restoration efforts related to Hurricane Katrina?

Sam Polles: A Response Command Center was established at the Lyman Fish Hatchery near Gulfport to serve as the agency's field headquarters for all hurricane field operations. The facility accommodates 50 to 60 officers, and rotations are scheduled every four days. The facility has also served to house...

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