Registered: Jun 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 448

Alabama’s land acquisition program, the Forever Wild Land Trust, has made
great strides in acquiring important tracts of land and providing additional
public hunting lands. Forever Wild began in 1992 as the result of a constitutional
amendment passed by the legislature and approved by an overwhelming 84%
of Alabama voters. The program will end in 2012 without reauthorization from the
Alabama Legislature. It is time for action.
Alabama enjoys tremendous wildlife diversity and good populations of game
species. Deer and turkey are abundant and enjoyed by both hunters and nature
watchers. Providing a location for the public to enjoy wildlife has become
increasingly difficult as access to private land has become more expensive
and restrictive. One solution to that problem is providing lands, like wildlife
management areas, for public use. Forever Wild grew out of that need.
Through Forever Wild, significant acres have been added to existing wildlife
management areas and new WMAs have been created. Overall, 13 WMAs have
benefited through the Forever Wild program. (see list on back)
Even with these great gains, much is left to be done. Work must continue so that
Alabama’s current and future outdoor recreation needs can be met. Alabama still
ranks behind all other southeastern states in lands dedicated for outdoor
recreation and wildlife management. (see graph on back)
An effort is currently underway to reduce Forever Wild’s funding.
Your help is needed to prevent this. Contact your state senator and
representative to let them know that you are against any bill that
reduces funding to Forever Wild, but that you support continuation
of the Forever Wild Program as it currently operates.
For additional information about
Forever Wild and its accomplishments
over the past 17 years, visit http://www.
outdooralabama.com/public-lands/statelands/
foreverwild. Here you can
download and read the publication,
The Forever Wild Land Trust:
An interim report to the citizens
of Alabama - 1992 through 2009.
1 — Barbour Wildlife Management Area (26% owned by Forever Wild)
2 — Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area (79% lease-owned by Forever Wild)
3 — Coosa Wildlife Management Area (26% owned by Forever Wild)
4 — Crow Creek Wildlife Management Area (8% owned by Forever Wild)
5 — Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area (75% owned by Forever Wild)
6 — Lauderdale Wildlife Management Area (31% owned by Forever Wild)
7 — Lowndes Wildlife Management Area (15% owned by Forever Wild)
8 — W.L. Holland & Mobile-Tensaw Delta Wildlife Management Area (11% owned by Forever Wild)
9 — Mulberry Fork Wildlife Management Area (100% lease-owned by Forever Wild)
10 — Perdido River Wildlife Management Area
(100% owned by Forever Wild and the State Lands Division)
11 — Riverton Community Hunting Area (100% owned by Forever Wild)
12 — James D. Martin - Skyline Wildlife Management Area (39% owned by Forever Wild)
13 — Upper Delta Wildlife Management Area
(100% owned by Forever Wild and the State Lands Division)
AL FL GA KY MS NC SC TN VA
4.08%
21.23%
6.99%
6.07% 5.95%
9.03%
7.07% 7.25%
9.87%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Since its initial funding in 1992, Forever Wild has acquired 205,408 acres
in 22 counties, which are equitably distributed across Alabama. These
acquisitions have been funded through the interest earnings from
investments within the Alabama Trust Fund, which are derived from gas
royalties. All of this was accomplished without an increase in taxes.
Wildlife management areas that have benefited from Forever Wild purchases include:
SOURCE: http://gapanalysis.nbii.gov

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