At a time when the global trend is to preserve urban trees to enhance quality of life and mitigate climate change, Biloxi, Mississippi is in retrograde.
Despite vocal opposition, the Biloxi Planning Commission on Sept. 3, 2026, voted unanimously to permit the destruction of a waterfront grove of mature live oak trees for a planned Black Marlin casino development—despite the fact that the trees are officially protected under a city ordinance.
“These trees were granted protection status for a reason—to ensure our landscapes remain resilient and vibrant against the pressures of increasing development,” Coast resident Preston Martin noted in an online petition opposing the move that has so far garnered more than 600 signatures. The petition calls for city officials to follow through on protecting the 25 mature live oaks, one magnolia and two hickory trees estimated to be more than a century old.
If the trees are destroyed, it would be part of a pattern: In June 2026, numerous venerable live oaks in Biloxi and nearby Long Beach were cut down before a judge could hear an appeal to save them. As the Sun Herald reported, government boards agreed to the trees’ removal despite local opposition and the protective ordinance. Residents in both cities appealed the decisions to circuit court, but developers removed the trees before a judge could review the cases. Among the trees lost was one known as the Gruich Oak, which was felled to make way for a Chick-fil-A.
The Gulf Coast is known for its monumental, spreading live oaks, which have withstood hurricanes and human development for centuries. Before Hurricane Katrina decimated the region, local beachfront promenades were lined with historic homes in groves of old live oaks, magnolias, camellias and other ornamental plants, but in many areas, all that survived the storm were the live oaks, including the grove now in the path of the planned casino.
Larry Tucei of Gulfport, who has been measuring and cataloguing large live oaks across the South for 20 years, said local officials sometimes recognize the need to preserve the region’s signature trees, and Gulf Coast cities frequently plant live oaks for aesthetic reasons. Other development projects over the years have incorporated existing live oaks into their site plans, including at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. But “protected” is a relative term, as the Biloxi ordinance allows approved removal if fees are paid and other trees are planted, Tucei said.
“I’m not against cutting trees when necessary, or against development when it’s done right,” Tucei said. His position, he said, is that in many cases, including this one, the trees could be incorporated into site plans. Tucei said developers have been eyeing the site for a casino since 2008 but their proposals have been repeatedly shot down, and so, the current permit application was expedited. Getting the site cleared was to be the next step toward getting other approvals, including from the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
In addition to their aesthetic value, Tucei said, such trees are important for capturing carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. “One big live oak can pull in 50 to 100 pounds of carbon a year,” he said. “That’s more than five acres of little trees.”
Tucei is considered an expert at aging live oaks, some of which on the Mississippi Coast are estimated to be more than 500 years old. The Friendship Oak in Long Beach reportedly dates to the year 1487, meaning it was around when Christopher Columbus first visited the New World. Live oaks are capable of withstanding hurricane winds and surges due to their deep and broad root systems and strong, twisting growth patterns. But as the Biloxi Planning Commission action illustrates, even locally revered live oaks granted official protection are vulnerable to developers and accommodating government officials.
In an email, Martin said, “I’m not an opponent of the fine folks that are working hard to put food on their tables for their families. I just want everyone to recognize that ‘progress’ doesn’t always have to mean ‘destruction.’ We can find a balance and that should be our standard going forward. What a developer might see as an obstacle that needs to be removed, I see as an opportunity to give your customers some shade while enjoying their time at the business.”
Removing the trees was included in a site application submitted to the planning commission by Encompass Develop Design and Construct, which is headquartered in LaGrange, Kentucky. RW Development plans to build the casino and is scrambling to meet a deadline to start construction and will ask the Mississippi Gaming Commission for permission to proceed before late December, a date set when the commission granted site approval.
“An application for approval to proceed with development has not been submitted for that location yet,” Jay McDaniel, executive director of the gaming commission, told the Sun Herald. “Any applicant would be required to show the commission that city and county governments do not oppose the proposed development, so it would make sense that those steps are being taken.”
The proposal to remove the trees now goes to the Biloxi City Council, which is expected to include the proposal in the agenda for its Sept. 15 meeting.
Tucei said the deadline for submitting appeals of the planning commission ruling to the city council is Sept. 11. Comments can be sent by email to KCampbell@biloxi.ms.us.
Image: Live oaks and a magnolia at the proposed casino site (courtesy Larry Tucei)