An event took place this past Friday at the Weeks Bay Resource Center near Fairhope, Alabama as information was presented concerning the Gulf of Mexico Initiative which will focus up to $50 million over three years in conservation assistance to farmers and ranchers in priority areas along seven major rivers that drain to the Gulf. Alabama, along with the other Gulf Coast states of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, are included in the initiative.
Joey Koptis, District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Baldwin County, talks about how this will work for landowners in his county.
This initiative includes not only Baldwin but also Escambia County in Alabama as Detra Boutwell, NRCS District Conservationist in Escambia County, encourages eligible landowners to stop by the office in Brewton to sign up for it.
Mike Shelton is the Coastal Training Program Coordinator at the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve as he is looking forward to the upcoming project and how it will help in their area.
Marlon Cook, Director of Ground Water Assessment Programs Geological Survey of Alabama, is going to be tracking the progress of this project which he says is great for Alabama.
Steve McMillan, Alabama State Representative for House District 95, has been a part of this process and pleased to see these dollars coming to his area of the state.
Ronnie Northcutt, who serves on the Board of Supervisors of the Baldwin County Soil & Water Conservation District, is also pleased with this initiatve and what it will mean for his county.