Photo Caption: Land acquired and placed into state conservation management along the Perdido River. This prime habitat will become part of the Perdido Wildlife Management Area. Future plans include making the area available to the public for recreational use.
The RESTORE Council visited Baldwin County, Alabama where over $10M in RESTORE funds have been invested in acquiring land along the Perdido River. Acquiring and conserving these lands preserves valuable habitats and provides the public with important access points along the “hidden” river shared by Alabama and Florida. This visit is part of a tour of RESTORE Council funded restoration projects across the Gulf Coast as the Council prepares to update its Comprehensive Plan for Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy. The Council invites public comment on the draft plan, which was released for public comment on April 21, 2022. The comment period will close on June 6, 2022.
The State of Alabama has successfully acquired 2,644 acres of habitat in the Perdido Watershed with funding from the RESTORE Council. This land will be permanently protected from future development for conservation purposes and will soon become part of the Perdido Wildlife Management Area and be accessible to the public for recreational use. This RESTORE Council FPL 3a investment leverages over $8M in funding coming from previous RESTORE Council investment from Initial FPL, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment, NFWF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR).
ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship has long been a proponent of conserving land along the Perdido corridor. “ADCNR is excited to have the opportunity to preserve and manage this land for future generations. When we protect and provide access to Alabama’s natural resources, everybody wins; it improves and protects both water quality and terrestrial habitat. In turn, as the public is able to access these places, it gives everyone the benefit of being in nature and enjoying Alabama’s diversity of natural resources.”
The RESTORE Act, passed in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, calls for the RESTORE Council to develop a comprehensive plan for use of a portion of the Deepwater Horizon settlement funds to restore the ecosystem and economies of the Gulf Coast. This plan communicates the Council’s goals and objectives for restoration, and it guides future investments in restoration activities. Gulf Coast stakeholders are invited to review and comment on the draft plan update during a formal comment period, beginning April 21, 2022. The deadline for submitting public comment is 11:59 MT on June 6, 2022. To learn more about the Council’s investments, and how to comment on the draft 2022 Comprehensive Plan Update, visit www.restorethegulf.gov.
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Keala J. Hughes
Director of External Affairs & Tribal Relations
(504) 717-7235