Perdido River Land Acquisition (Molpus Tract)

Implementing Organization

State of Alabama

Overview

DWH Project Funding

$4,792,540

Known Leveraged Funding

$0

Funding Organization

Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (NRDA)

Funding Program

Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)

Details

Project Category

Recreational Use

Project Actions

Engineering and Construction

Targeted Resources

Recreational Resources

Project Description

This project will acquire and place in conservation 1,391 acres of coastal habitat on the Perdido River. The Molpus Tract covers more than 4 miles of riverfront on the Perdido River and is immediately south of and contiguous with the Perdido Wildlife Management Area. Of the 1,391 acres to be purchased, approximately 686 acres are upland and 705 acres are wetland. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will own and manage the land. Management will include hydrologic restoration as needed and the use of clearing and prescribed burns over time to return the appropriate acreage to longleaf pine. The project will include recreational improvements to the property, including a canoe/kayak launch that will link this property to the Perdido River Canoe Trail and provide an additional point of access to the river for the public. Signage educating the public about the area’s flora and fauna, the Perdido Wildlife Management Area, and the Perdido River Canoe Trail will also be developed and installed near the launch. Acquisition of the Molpus Tract is strategic because it will place large amounts of acreage into conservation. When considered holistically with publicly held land on the Alabama and Florida sides of the Perdido River, it is an important acquisition in the ongoing effort to place the Perdido River corridor in conservation.

Contact

Seth Newton
(205) 247-3708
snewton@gsa.state.al.us
Project Website

Project Partners

Affiliated Institutions

For official trustee information regarding the Deepwater Horizon NRDA, including information regarding the NRDA process and the status of projects, see https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/