Outdoor Alabama Newsletter | April 2020

Outdoor Alabama Newsletter | April 2020

ADCNR Operations During COVID-19

Outdoor recreation in Alabama is considered an essential activity in the Order of the State Health Officer that was issued on April 3, 2020. That means outdoors activities such as hunting, fishing, trail use, boating, and paddling can still be enjoyed by all Alabamians as long as groups are kept to 10 people or less and a consistent 6-foot distance between persons can be maintained. Additionally, most Alabama State Parks, including campgrounds and associated facilities, remain open with some exceptions.

ADCNR strongly encourages everyone to observe the State Health Order and to practice CDC recommendations regarding hand washing and social distancing (maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from others). Violating the State Health Order can result in criminal charges and fines.

Due to the evolving nature of the pandemic, ADCNR recommends calling individual state parks and other facilities if you have questions about reservations or operational hours.

For the most up-to-date information about ADCNR operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, click the learn more button.

Partnership Conserves Red Hills Salamander Habitat in South Alabama

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently awarded the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources nearly $9 million in land conservation grants authorized by Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act to apply toward the purchase of two land tracts totaling 4,911 acres of critical Red Hills salamander (RHS) habitat in Monroe County, Alabama. The Forever Wild Land Trust will provide the remainder of the funding for the acquisitions.

The land acquisitions – known as the Red Hills Brown-Schutt Trust tract and the Red Hills Flat Creek Phase III tract – are part of a long-term conservation goal of delisting the RHS, which has been federally listed as a threatened species since 1977.

NWTF Donates Almost $168,000 for Wildlife Management

The Alabama Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation recently allocated $167,685 in Hunting Heritage Super Funds for wild turkey projects in Alabama. Of that total, $76,770 was donated to the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to fund projects including wildlife habitat management and the publication of the annual wild turkey report, Full Fans & Sharp Spurs.

Photo by Gary Mitchell

Flounder Fingerlings Released Ahead of Schedule

With the exception of those essential workers like healthcare, first responders and transportation, to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude, the COVID-19 outbreak has most of the world at a standstill.

Schedules had to be adjusted when Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued the directives to minimize the spread of the virus.

One of those schedules involved the release of the southern flounder fingerlings that had been spawned at the Alabama Marine Resources Division’s (MRD) Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores.

State Park Rangers on Duty in Times of Calm and Peril

Thankfully, with a few exceptions, Alabama State Parks remain open during the COVID-19 restrictions.

And as diligent as always, our park rangers are on duty to deal with any situation that might arise with everything from a welcoming wave and helpful hand to rescuing park visitors in peril.

That peril was particularly apparent last December when a line of storms started moving through north Alabama.

Joe Wheeler State Park Ranger Ryan Robertson was on patrol on December 16, 2019, while Ranger David Barr had the day off, or so he thought.

Learn more in David Rainer's most recent article!

Census 2020, More Important Than Ever

If Alabama’s count falls shy of the 72 percent participation rate recorded in the 2010 Census, the state would likely experience reduced representation in Congress, the loss of millions of dollars in Census-derived community funding, and reduced economic development opportunities.

More

• Hunters Encouraged to Participate in Avid Turkey Hunter Survey
• How to Field Dress Your Turkey Harvest
• State Archery Championship Canceled
• Gov. Ivey Announces National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Projects in Alabama

Your purchase of a hunting, fishing, or Wildlife Heritage license makes conservation efforts in Alabama possible. If you have already purchased your license, thank you!