Conservation Advosory Board Meeting Summaries|General Discussions|Forum|Bow Hunters of Alabama

The Conservation Advisory Board meeting was held on March 11, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama. Commissioner Blankenship said, “We’re making improvements to our trail system amenities on Forever Wild property with signage, parking lots, and all the things that make those tracts more accessible to the public.” Habitat work is being done help ducks and quail which will benefit turkeys and deer as well.

Commissioner Blankenship said. “Numerous projects are underway for WFF with land added at several WMAs (wildlife management areas) and SOAs (special opportunity areas) in cooperation with Forever Wild.” He said the sale of licenses for night hunting of feral hogs and coyotes indicates hunters are taking advantage of this recreational activity outside of deer and turkey seasons.”

Commissioner Blankenship congratulated WFF Director Chuck Sykes on his election as president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, effective September 2023.

Director Sykes provided an update on chronic wasting disease impact on white-tailed deer in Alabama. Approximately 3600 White-tailed Deer statewide in Alabama during the 2022-2023 deer season were tested. Two positive CWD cases were found during the 2022-2023 deer season. Approximately 1100 white-tailed deer were tested for CWD in Lauderdale County with only 1 positive case.

Director Sykes wanted to commend the hunters in the CMZ (CWD Management Zone) for their cooperation with staff at mandatory check stations and freezer locations.

Lauderdale and Colbert Counties have been added to the CWD zone. More processors will be available for hunters to use to drop off harvested deer so that CWD samples can be collected.

Luke Parker
Spoke to the CAB requesting that spear hunting season be reinstated in Alabama. Spear hunting was legal in Alabama up to 2018.

The primary focus of the May 20, 2023, Conservation Board Advisory meeting in Huntsville, Alabama, was on the Deepwater Horizon settlement monies of 1 billion 29 million dollars was going to be allocated for the many restoration projects along Alabama’s coastal region. Mobile and Baldwin counties are the primary focus for restoration projects.

Commissioner Blankenship said. “About $401 million is being used to restore, conserve and enhance habitat in coastal Alabama.” The primary focus was on land acquisition. Commissioner Blankenship said. “So far, we have acquired more than 13,000 acres of land in coastal Alabama to protect and provide recreational access. That includes the west end of Dauphin Island, Grand Bay Savanna, Pilot Town on Fort Morgan, and Gulf Highlands property on Fort Morgan, which is one of the last undeveloped areas of the beach that was not part of Fort Morgan or the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. This also includes multiple parcels in Weeks Bay, parcels at Dauphin Island, Oyster Bay, and we have purchased three parcels in the Three Rivers area that we have transferred to the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.” Land acquisition also includes tracts along the Perdido River Watershed to provide a wildlife corridor from the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area to the Lillian Swamp Forever Wild property.

Commissioner Blankenship sad, “We have been working for the past six years to connect those wildlife management areas. This will be a distinct wildlife corridor with about 50 miles of river frontage. When that work is done, we will have well over 30,000 acres along the Perdido River for public access, hunting, hiking, canoe trails and river frontage from near the headwaters all the way to Perdido Bay in public ownership.” Commissioner Blankenship explained that we have a lot of woods and water in our state, and that gives us great opportunities for recreational access, and this is a way to differentiate us from other states.

Written by Nathan Worthington with credit given to articles written by David Raniner, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources