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FOREVER WILD LAND TRUST

FOREVER WILD LAND TRUST. Alabama’s Land Acquisition Program. WAYNE BARGER, Ph.D. State Lands Division, AL-DCNR Natural Heritage Section Montgomery, AL. BACKGROUND. Voted in as Alabama Constitutional Amendment 543 in 1992

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FOREVER WILD LAND TRUST

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  1. FOREVER WILD LAND TRUST Alabama’s Land Acquisition Program WAYNE BARGER, Ph.D. State Lands Division, AL-DCNR Natural Heritage Section Montgomery, AL

  2. BACKGROUND • Voted in as Alabama Constitutional Amendment 543 in 1992 • Passed by the highest margin for any state land acquisition program (83%) • Program Life: 1992–2012

  3. SOURCE OF FUNDING • A percentage of the interest earned from the Alabama Trust Fund • Source of the Alabama Trust Fund: revenue generated from royalties of offshore gas operations in Alabama waters • 10% from FY 1999 to 2013; not to exceed $15 million/year

  4. $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 10% (not to exceed $15 million/year) GENERAL FUND

  5. FINANCIAL PARTNERS • The Nature Conservancy • Ducks Unlimited • The Alabama Wildlife Federation • The Attorney General’s Office • Environmental Section

  6. FEDERAL LAND ACQUISITION PARTNERS • North American Wetlands Conservation Act: USFWS- $4 Million • National Coastal Wetlands Program: USFWS- $7.6 Million • Forest Legacy Program: USFS- $7.7 Million ($8.4 Million pending) • Coastal Estuarine Land Conservation Program: NOAA- $5 Million ($6 Million pending)

  7. PROGRAM SUMMARY1992 - PRESENT • 65 Tracts Acquired • 18 Counties* • 139, 345 acres • $114.8 Million in property values (at time of purchase) Current as of 11/4/08

  8. FOREVER WILD ACQUISITIONS

  9. PURPOSE AND MANAGEMENT Multiple Use Philosophy -Primary purchase purpose and complimentary activities such as hiking, fishing, nature study, outdoor education, bird watching, hunting, photography, camping... -Secure land containing representative natural communities, habitat for rare species, or critical habitat of federally listed species

  10. PURPOSE AND MANAGEMENT Secure additional public land under the following categories: • Nature Preserves • Recreation Areas • State Parks • Wildlife Management Areas Land to be purchased from willingsellers, at a price not to exceed Fair Market Value

  11. RECREATION AREAS • Secure land for recreational opportunities: • Scenic vistas, hiking or picnicking areas • Canoe put-in and take-outs • Areas of historic significance • No size stipulations

  12. STATE PARKS • Secure land for the creation of new state parks • Secure land for addition to existing state parks • Green space or visual buffer additions • Space for facility additions, recreation, or habitat with important ecological significance • No size stipulations • Assessed and Managed by the State Parks Division

  13. WMA ACQUISITIONS • Managed specifically for public hunting • Secure land for creation of new WMA • Must exceed 4,000 acres and exist outside municipal areas • Secure land for addition to existing WMA • No size stipulations • Assessed and Managed by the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division

  14. ASSESSMENT AND ACQUISITION PROCEDURE 1) Any citizen, state agency, association or club may nominate property 2) Ownership of nominated property is determined 3) Availability of nominated property is established

  15. ASSESSMENT AND ACQUISITION PROCEDURE • Nominations of available properties are assessed continually/scored • FWB evaluates write-ups and on-site scoring of these properties and votes on which nominations to appraise

  16. ASSESSMENT AND ACQUISITION PROCEDURE 6) FWB votes on making offers to purchase 7) FWB directs the SLD to contract for a Phase 1 Site Assessment • formal search for toxic or hazardous wastes 8) FWB votes to acquire or not acquire the identified property

  17. ASSESSMENT AND ACQUISITION PROCEDURE Lastly... 9) Examination by the Final Review Committee • Comprised of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House • Committee votes to approve or disapprove the FWB recommendation to purchase: simple majority ruling

  18. REPRESENTATIVE FW ACQUISITIONS

  19. Forever Wild Program Acquisitions

  20. Splinter Hill Bog • Nature Preserve • 590 acres • FW tracts #30 & #40 • Baldwin County • September 24, 2003 & 2004, respectively

  21. PITCHER PLANT BOG FROM SPLINTER HILL BOG (Near Atmore, AL)

  22. Splinter Hill Bog Splinter Hill Bog

  23. Perdido River Tract • Nature Preserve, Recreation, WMA • Total ~18,292 acres • FW Tracts #48 & #55 • Baldwin County • Jan. 18 & Dec. 20, 2006

  24. PERDIDO TRACT (Near Bay Minette, AL) Euthamia graminifolia –Flat-Top Goldentop Lobelia amoena –Southern Lobelia Apteria aphylla –Nodding Nixie Liatris gracilis –Slender Blazing Star Asclepias tuberosa –Butterflyweed

  25. PERDIDO TRACT (Near Bay Minette, AL) Polygala cruciata – Pink Drumheads Asclepias incarnata – Swamp Milkweed Lobelia siphilitica – Great Blue Lobelia with Skipper Euthamia caroliniana – Flat Topped Goldenrod Ramaria stricta - Straight-branched Coral Mushroom

  26. Grand Bay Savanna • Nature Preserve & Recreation Area • 5,151 acres • FW Tracts #4, 24, 38, & 56. • Acquired 1996, 2002, 2004, 2006

  27. Drosera capillaris– Pink Sundew Platanthera cristata – Yellow Crested Orchid Setaria & Chrysopsis – Foxtail Grass and Golden Aster

  28. Mobile-Tensaw Delta • Nature Preserve, Recreation, & Wildlife Management Area • 35,795 acres (47,904 acres) • Forever Wild Tract #15 • Baldwin/ Mobile Counties • June 12, 1999 Bayou Canot Tract #17 • 1,933 acres Salco & Middle River Tract #19 • 1,764 acres Middle River West Tract #21 • 1,423 acres McMillan 1 Tract #25 • 181 acres McMillan 2 & 3 Tract #27 • 459 acres Jacinto Port (Wetland) #37 • 2,888 acres Bayou Jessamine Tract #44 • 183 acres MTD P IV Tract #48 • 1,533 acres Bayou Sara Tract #51 • 232 acres

  29. Mobile-Tensaw Delta

  30. Mobile-Tensaw Delta Tracts

  31. Forever Wild Program Acquisitions

  32. The Wehle Tract • Nature Preserve, Recreation & WMA • 1,505 acres • Forever Wild Tract #2 • Bullock County • October 28, 1994

  33. Wehle Tract

  34. WEHLE TRACT (Near UNION SPRINGS, AL) Agraulis vanillae - Gulf Fritillary Xyris jupicai – Yellow-Eyed Grass Lobelia puberula – Downy Lobelia Sorghum bicolor – Hoverfly visiting Sorghum Trillium reliquum – Relict Trillium

  35. Ft. Toulouse Tract • Recreation • 254 acres • FW Tract #6 • Elmore County • May 27, 1997

  36. Ft. Toulouse Arabis georgiana – Georgia Rock Cress

  37. COON CREEK TRACT • Acquired February 1995 • Forever Wild Tract #3 • Tallapoosa County • 320 Acre Tract (130 ha); 9 ha covered by water with 4 ha marshland The Coon Creek tract was acquired to “provide the public with outdoor recreational opportunities, a nature preserve and an environmental education study area.”

  38. State Lands minimum maintenance • Tallapoosa County has been historically overlooked floristically • Relatively undeveloped land usage surrounds the tract Jacquemontia tamnifolia

  39. COON CREEK PRESERVE (Near Tallassee, AL) Croomia pauciflora- Croomia Argiope aurantia – Golden Orb Weaver Panicum rigidulum – Redtopped Panicum

  40. Coldwater Mountain Tract • Nature Preserve & Recreation • 3,924 acres • Forever Wild Tract #11 • Calhoun County • October 2, 1998 Coldwater Mountain Addition- McCartney Tract • 280 acres • Forever Wild Tract #32 • December 3, 2003

  41. Coldwater Mountain

  42. Forever Wild Program Acquisitions

  43. Monsanto • Nature Preserve & Recreation • 209 acres • Forever Wild Tract #1 • Marshall County • September 13, 1994 Eagle Roost View • State Park • 17 acres • Forever Wild Tract #13 • February 4, 1999

  44. Monsanto

  45. Eagle Roost View Eagle Roost View17 acres

  46. Indian Mountain Tract & Indian Mountain –Garner Tract • Nature Preserve & Recreation • 594 acres • Forever Wild Tracts # 7, & 18 • Cherokee County • September 18, 1997, & December 3, 2001 Indian Mountain Tract Indian Mountain –Garner Tract

  47. VIEW FROM INDIAN MOUNTAIN TRACT (Near Piedmont, AL)

  48. Indian Mountain

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