www.al abamawildlife.org 5

PRESERVINGAND

RESTORINGWILDLIFE

EDUCATIONAND TRAINING

CONSERVATIONAND RESOURCEMANAGEMENT

Tim L. Gothard

The Future of Forever Wild by Tim l. gothard, awf executive director

e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r ' s r e p o r t

President grady Hartzog lays out in his President’s Perspective the importance of awf and all supporters of forever wild beginning the process now to “protect and reautho-rize forever wild.” awf along with groups such as the National wild Turkey federation, ducks Unlimited, the National rifle association, the Nature Conservancy, freshwater

land Trust, alabama forest resources Center, Coastal Conservation association, and many, many more, are committed to exactly that. it is my hope that our state elected officials will see the merit and value of continuing a program that enjoys the support of 80-85 percent of the voting public and broad support that crosses all political and demographic sectors – republican, democrat, and independent; african american and Caucasian; men and women; Consumptive and non-Consumptive user groups; all ages.

There are a variety of reasons to support continuation of forever wild funding including availability of public hunting lands, public outdoor recreation access, sensitive lands preservation, outdoor recreation and tourism benefits to local communities, and maintaining the high quality of life character for future generations that alabama enjoys today.

Conservation Commissioner barnett lawley shares these views as well and recently penned his thoughts on the importance of forever wild and its accomplishments. as President Hartzog suggested, i hope you will take the time to read Commissioner lawley’s thoughts on the next page, and the forever wild information contained within this and the last issue of Alabama Wildlife, and make it a point to contact your local state legislators and tell them personally of your support for forever wild and that you want them to take action to “protect and reauthorize forever wild funding.”

the future of Forever Wild is in our hands. Raise your hand with your local legislators and ask them to Protect and Reauthorize Forever Wild funding for the benefit of ALL Alabamians.

al abama wildlife wiNTer 20106

Barbour Co. 1730 +/- acBarbour Co. 597 +/- acBullock Co. 1,028 +/- acBullock Co. 492 +/- acBullock Co. 348 +/- acBullock Co. 310 +/- acElmore Co. 3,519 +/- acHenry Co. 67 +/- acLowndes Co. 1,355 +/- acLowndes Co. 583 +/- acLowndes Co. 360 +/- ac

Lowndes Co. 242 +/- acMacon Co. 540 +/- acMontgomery Co. 504 +/- acMontgomery Co. 472 +/- acMontgomery Co. 164 +/- acPerry Co. 594 +/- acPike Co. 765 +/- acPike Co. 397 +/- acRussell Co. 414 +/- acSumter Co. 860 +/- acTallapoosa Co. 1254 +/- ac

STATE OF ALABAMA

FOREVER WILDLAND TRUST

64 NORTH UNION STREET

SUITE 464, FOLSOM ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36130

TELEPHONE (334) 242-3484 FACSIMILE (334) 242-0999

Bob Riley

M. Barnett Lawley

Governor

Chairman

January 27, 2009

Governor Bob Riley

The Capitol Montgomery, Alabama 36130

Lt. Governor Jim Folsom

The State House - Room 725

Montgomery, Alabama 36130

Speaker Seth Hammett

The State House

Montgomery, Alabama 36130

Re: Forever Wild Land Trust Annual Report - FY 2007-2008

Dear Governor Riley, Lt. Governor Folsom, and Speaker Hammett:

Pursuant to the provisions of Amendment 543, Constitution of Alabama of 1901, Section 5(d), and on behalf of the

Forever Wild Board of Trustees, it is my pleasure to transmit herewith the annual report of the Alabama Forever Wild

Land Trust for the fiscal year October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.

During this period the Forever Wild Land Trust acquired nine tracts comprising 15,498 acres. The acquired tracts

include: 1) Coosa WMA: Cahaba & Columbiana Tracts in Coosa County, 2) The Lauderdale WMA- BTW Tract

Additions in Lauderdale County, 3) MSP-North Slope Addition in Madison County, 4) Henshaw Cove Tract in

Jackson County, 5)The Mobile-Tensaw Delta-Mifflin Lake Tract Addition in Baldwin County, 6) Cathedral Caverns-

Kirkland Tract Addition in Marshall County, 7) The State Cattle Ranch Tract in Hale County, 8) The Mobile-Tensaw

Delta- Bayou Sara CLT Addition in Mobile County, and 9) The State Cattle Ranch Phase II Tract in Hale County.

During fiscal year 2008-2009 the Board will continue identifying and purchasing tracts of land for nature preserves,

additions to state parks, outdoor recreational areas and wildlife management areas for public hunting.

Sincerely,

M. Barnett Lawley

Chairman

Thoughts on Forever Wild

by m. barnett lawley, adCNr Commissioner

alabama is a unique state with vast landscapes, scenic values and endless recreational opportunities. Throughout history,

alabamians have felt a fierce pride for our state and its abundant natural resources, from forests and mountains to rivers and beach-

es, providing for some of the most beautiful sights and most enjoyable adventures offered anywhere in the world.

in the past two decades, 209,874 acres of alabama's coastal areas, forests, wetlands, and many other wildlife habitats have

been preserved through an effort called forever wild. forever wild is a state program that preserves natural areas and water sup-

plies, and enhances air quality throughout the state.

from the mobile-Tensaw delta to the "walls of Jericho," forever wild conserves land and water across alabama and has

done so for almost 20 years, all without a single dollar of taxpayer money. There is an old Native american proverb that is consis-

tent with the goal of forever wild: "we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

forever wild was created in a 1992 amendment to the state constitution that was overwhelmingly approved by 83 percent of

alabama voters. The amendment grants the state the authority to buy land for conservation and is funded by a small portion of the

interest earned in the alabama Trust fund. all funds are placed in this dedicated trust fund and can only be used for this purpose.

The land is preserved in its natural state, made "forever wild," so future generations can enjoy it the same way we do.

in addition to preserving our land, air, water and wildlife, thereby enhancing our quality of life, forever wild also contributes

to alabama's economic success. because of forever wild, alabama has made great strides in its effort to compete with other states

for economic and tourism opportunities -- and we must continue this trend to progress in the future.

The reason many tourists and visitors come to our state is in large part for the beauty of our rivers, mountains, beaches, and

other natural areas. Preserving these areas through forever wild is key to maintaining alabama's long-term economic success while

improving the quality of life in all communities across the state.

Thanks to forever wild, 17,740 acres around Jackson County's "walls of Jericho" have been preserved, protecting the water

quality of the Paint rock river for the public forever. four hundred miles to the south, numerous plants and animals find refuge

in the grand bay Savanna, where forever wild has purchased 5,311 acres of land since 1996. located on the eastern side of lake

guntersville, eagle roost View provides a perfect spot where visitors from guntersville State Park can enjoy our state's scenic beau-

ty and observe alabama's winter population of bald eagles. because of forever wild these important natural areas are protected for

our children and grandchildren to enjoy for generations to come. and these are just a few examples.

if you want to experience a part of god's bounty protected by forever wild in your area, go to http://www.alabamaforever-

wild.com.don't forget to take a child or grandchild with you, because protecting our natural resources is really about them

and all future generations.