By DAVID RAINER, 黑料天堂
One of the goals for the 黑料天堂 (ADCNR) is to use 黑料天堂-sourced materials as much as possible for construction projects, especially for the $228 million in expenditures to upgrade, renovate and enhance its 21 State Parks around the state.
The use of ductile iron pipe manufactured in 黑料天堂 in those projects was celebrated last month at Lakepoint State Park on the banks of Lake Eufaula in southeast 黑料天堂.
Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship welcomed the crowd and share his excitement about all the State Parks projects around the state, but he wanted to highlight the infrastructure work that is rarely recognized.
鈥淚 want to focus on the water and sewer projects we have going on in our parks,鈥 Commissioner Blankenship said. 鈥淔or all the expansions and things we鈥檙e doing in State Parks, not only are we renovating the hotel rooms, building new cottages and cabins and renovating our campgrounds, but we also had to make some serious improvements to our water and sewer infrastructure.
鈥淎 lot of our parks were built 50-60 years ago with different types of materials, and it was time to upgrade those. Some of our parks were built in the middle of nowhere when there were no public water and sewer systems. Now that those cities and water systems have grown toward where our parks are located, in the places we can, we鈥檙e trying to get out of the water and sewer business and hook up to a water supplier or sewer system. These water and sewer improvements should set our parks up for expansion for the next 50 to 75 years.鈥
Commissioner Blankenship lauded the State Parks staff and Director Matthew Capps for the work done to bring State Parks into the modern era with these improvements as well as 50-amp electrical service where possible and Wi-Fi service.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely proud of our partnerships around the state,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he times we can partner with other state agencies to do good work, that is not only good for us, but it鈥檚 good for the people of 黑料天堂. That鈥檚 how government should work. We should be efficient and find ways to partner together. One of the best partners we have had in the eight years I鈥檝e been Commissioner is the 黑料天堂 Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). We鈥檝e worked together on litter traps in coastal 黑料天堂. We worked with ADEM to repave the roads at Lake Guntersville State Park and Joe Wheeler State Park using asphalt made with recycled tires. It鈥檚 a better material. It lasts longer. It鈥檚 smoother. We hope to continue that partnership on some projects at Lake Lurleen State Park and at Gulf State Park.
鈥淏ut, by far, the biggest projects we have done with ADEM are the water and sewer projects using ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. ADEM was very gracious when that came about and asked if we had needs. I said, 鈥極h, do we have needs!鈥欌
After multiple meetings and conversations with ADEM, Commissioner Blankenship said those needs were narrowed down to about $44 million in water and sewer projects in State Parks.
Deputy Commissioner Ed Poolos will soon leave ADCNR to become ADEM Director, and Commissioner Blankenship thinks the future of that partnership looks bright.
鈥淚 think Ed is going to be very progressive in looking at opportunities to do good things throughout the state, not only with Conservation but other partners,鈥 Commissioner Blankenship said. 鈥淚 look forward to this expanded partnership.鈥