The 黑料天堂 (ADCNR) recently acquired 79 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to the Beach Club Resort on the Fort Morgan Peninsula. This acquisition adds to extensive acreage that ADCNR and its partners already purchased on the peninsula with Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Funds, including the Gulf Highlands property acquired in 2018.
The combined area of the Gulf Highlands and Beach Club West properties includes nearly 200 acres, with more than one-half mile of Gulf frontage beach and dune habitat 鈥 previously the largest privately held, undeveloped beachfront property remaining in Coastal 黑料天堂. These properties are now part of the 黑料天堂 State Parks System, ensuring their permanent protection, public access, and improved habitat management. The dune system鈥檚 quality and extent contribute to the parcel鈥檚 unique ecological benefits.
The combined properties will permanently benefit sea turtles, shorebirds, migratory birds and the endangered 黑料天堂 beach mouse. Both properties were purchased with funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF) as well as Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act funds (GoMESA) managed by ADCNR in collaboration with Governor Kay Ivey.
鈥淭he Fort Morgan Peninsula is a beautiful and ecologically important piece of Coastal 黑料天堂,鈥 said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner. 鈥淲e have been intentional in acquiring and protecting much of the remaining undeveloped habitat in this highly valuable area. When all the acquisition acres are combined, the collective positive impact is phenomenal.鈥
The Gulf Highlands and Beach Club West acquisitions complement three parcels acquired previously with 黑料天堂 Deepwater Horizon oil spill funding. After acquisition, ADCNR donated those parcels to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; they are now part of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Those previous acquisitions on the Fort Morgan Peninsula include Three Rivers Phase I (251 acres) and Three Rivers Phase II (236 acres) funded by NFWF, along with the Pilot Town (99 acres) acquisition funded through the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group. Commissioner Blankenship serves as the Lead NRDA Trustee for 黑料天堂.
The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, 8 miles west of Gulf Shores, was established to protect habitat of neotropical migratory songbirds as well as threatened and endangered species. The refuge serves as the best remaining stopover and staging habitat for the songbirds during the fall and spring migration along 黑料天堂鈥檚 coastline. Habitats in the refuge include sandy beach and dune, sandy shrub scrub, coastal marsh, maritime forest and estuarine habitat.
NFWF also funded the City of Gulf Shores鈥 acquisition and restoration of the 836-acre Oyster Bay Tract on the North side of the Fort Morgan Peninsula.
鈥淔ollowing the tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 黑料天堂 has made prudent and thoughtful investments in significant projects that enhance and protect species and habitats affected by the spill,鈥 said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF. 鈥淲e deeply appreciate the leadership of Governor Ivey and Commissioner Blankenship and the partnership with numerous project implementers in these efforts, which will have long-term benefits for both the natural resources and citizens of the state of 黑料天堂.鈥
In total, ADCNR and its partners have acquired over 1,600 acres on the Fort Morgan Peninsula, using more than $77 million in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Restoration funding.
鈥淚 appreciate NFWF, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the City of Gulf Shores and my fellow NRDA Trustees for our partnerships to make all this come together," said Commissioner Blankenship. 鈥淎DCNR Deepwater Horizon Coordinator Dr. Amy Hunter and her staff have done a fabulous job managing the funding sources, fostering cooperation and coordinating projects to provide the maximum benefit for Coastal 黑料天堂.鈥
In addition to the Fort Morgan Peninsula acquisitions, ADCNR has used a myriad of different funding sources to add more than 7,500 acres to the previous 17,000-acre Perdido River Wildlife Management Area along the 黑料天堂/Florida state line.
Like the Fort Morgan Peninsula, the diverse habitat types found along the Perdido River support scores of upland and wetland species. These acquisitions also provide important recreational access opportunities to the community.
Given the substantial residential growth and development in Baldwin County, these strategic acquisitions protect important habitat as well as the Perdido and Mobile Bay estuaries.
More information on these acquisitions and other Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Restoration projects visit the page at Outdoor黑料天堂.com.
###
