Conservation Advisory Board Updated on ADCNR Projects

By DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

In its first meeting of 2026, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board received an overall report from Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), and a handful of proposed changes to 2026-2027 seasons and bag limits from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division.

Commissioner Blankenship started the report by citing personnel changes in the Department. Charlanna Skaggs, who was recently recognized among the “Women Who Shape the State,” was elevated to ADCNR Deputy Commissioner. She replaces Ed Poolos, who was appointed Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Chris Lewis became the WFF Director last November, succeeding Chuck Sykes. Kevin Anson was named Marine Resources Director after the retirement of Scott Bannon. The Commissioner also welcomed Dr. Eve Brantley, Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, to the board as an ex-officio member.

The Commissioner apprised the Board of a long list of projects that are underway, starting with boating access.

“We have about $66 million in boating access projects that are complete, near completion or underway,” said Commissioner Blankenship at the Montgomery meeting. “That includes seven small ramps on Lake Guntersville, the Waterfront Grocery Ramp near Scottsboro is about to get started and Foster’s Ferry and Riverview ramps in Tuscaloosa are coming along. The Week’s Bay Viewpoint Ramp in Baldwin County is in design and permitting and will begin construction this fall. 

“Billy Goat Hole on Dauphin Island is one of the busiest ramps – if not the busiest – we have in coastal Alabama; it was recently completed. We will have a ribbon-cutting there next month. We have a big project going on at Kowaliga on Lake Martin, adding parking and increasing the capacity of that ramp. We have a new tournament pier on Lake Jordan and a new tournament-sized boat ramp on the east side of Lake Martin off of Highway 49 that we are doing in conjunction with Tallapoosa County and Alabama Power. We also have a project underway at Moundville.”

Commissioner Blankenship highlighted the $228 million in Alabama State Parks projects that have been completed or are underway.

“Many of those projects have been completed, including a new pool house at DeSoto and the renovated Gulf State Park Pavilion,” he said. “We added a campground at Meaher State Park and new cabins, about a $7 million project. The Monte Sano CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) cabins were renovated, and we had a ribbon-cutting up there last week. At Wind Creek State Park, we have new three-bedroom, three-bath cottages on the water. Between that project and campground renovations, it was about a $12 million project.”

One State Parks project was delayed by Mother Nature. All the buildings at Joe Wheeler State Park had their roofing replaced. A few weeks after completion, a hailstorm with softball-sized hail destroyed the new shingles. The damaged shingles were scraped off and replaced with new ones.

Other State Parks projects include a new entrance at Rickwood State Park, modernization of the lodge rooms at Lakepoint, a new events center and repaving at Chewacla, a Fort Morgan Trail Extension that will connect with Gulf State Park, and a new entrance road at Buck’s Pocket that connects directly to the I-65 Interstate interchange. About 30 water and sewer projects in State Parks continue in conjunction with ADEM.

“Our three largest projects are almost done,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “We have the total renovation of Lake Lurleen State Park that should be completed later in March or the first of April, the Gulf State Park Campground expansion, which is a $24 million project in coastal Alabama, and the new lodge at Cheaha State Park, a $28 million project that will be completed in June or July, and we hope to have everything open to the public by late summer. It will be a fantastic place.”

Mountain biking trails have been built at Oak Mountain State Park and Forever Wild’s Coldwater Mountain in conjunction with Innovate Alabama. A new skills park was also added at Oak Mountain.

ADCNR’s State Lands Division is overseeing more than $45 million in GOMESA funding from oil and gas production in coastal Alabama that was awarded in 2025 with an additional $40 million in funding expected for 2026.

“We opened the event center at the Forever Wild Field Trial Area near Demopolis and completed about $4 million in renovations throughout that 4,000-acre facility in Perry County,” the Commissioner said. “The Alabama Wildlife Federation has leased our Five Rivers facility in Baldwin County and is making improvements. That should be reopened to the public very soon. This has been a good partnership between our agency and the Alabama Wildlife Federation to provide a good opportunity for the public at that facility. I think this will be a great partnership moving forward."

Commissioner Blankenship provided an update on CWD (chronic wasting disease) cases that affect white-tailed deer. He said nine new positives were confirmed during the 2025-2026 time frame with eight in Lauderdale County and one in Colbert County.

The Commissioner highlighted improvements to the Alabama State Public Fishing Lakes, a series of lakes scattered throughout the state to serve areas without easy access to larger lakes and reservoirs.

“We’re having major upgrades at Marion County Lake,” he said. “At Walker County Lake, we’re building a new event center there. Then Dekalb, Crenshaw and Escambia lakes are under construction or improvements.”

Regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement, ADCNR is managing 212 projects in coastal Alabama. Several larger projects that will be completed in 2026 include the Dauphin Island Causeway Project, extending the Bayou La Batre sewer outflow farther into coastal waters for water quality improvements and opening up more areas for oyster aquaculture, and the Fairhope Working Waterfront improvements. Other projects include the Deer River Marsh Stabilization and the Fowl River Spits Restoration as well as projects on Dauphin Island.

“The Aloe Bay Harbor Town project is refreshing the center part of Dauphin Island to add economic development opportunities there,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “That is another $25-30 million project. The new sewer plant being built on Dauphin Island is another $30 million project, and the Bayou La Batre City Docks is another $20 million project.”

With the increased popularity of the shooting sports, ADCNR is committed to providing access to quality shooting venues to the public, the Commissioner said.

“Upgrading our shooting ranges has been an emphasis for us over the past few years,” he said. “Chief Matt Weathers with our Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division and his team are overseeing a lot of those upgrades. We closed the range in Etowah County to totally renovate that. That should be open later this year. A new range is coming near Columbiana in Shelby County, and it will be first-class when it’s finished.”

The Alabama Gulf Coast is renowned for its saltwater fishing opportunities, including the state’s signature species, red snapper.

“Our red snapper season in 2025 was the longest we’ve had in more than two decades,” the Commissioner said. “We opened the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend and then fished daily through June. We went to four-day weekends for July and August. In September, we decided to go ahead and open it seven days a week until we reached our quota. It was open from September through the end of the year. It was a very successful red snapper season.”

In coordination with the emergency management personnel and law enforcement in Baldwin and Mobile counties, ADCNR established a Shark Alert System as mandated by the Alabama Legislature. 

“We have that Shark Alert System in place, and we hope we never have to use it,” the Commissioner said. 

The Commissioner also highlighted the awards the Department received in 2025, including the Governor’s Alabama Tourism Award for work in State Parks and outdoor recreation throughout the state.

“That’s kind of a big deal,” he said. “They only give out one of those a year. We received an award from Tennessee RiverLine for our work with Innovate Alabama to help grow outdoor recreation, particularly kayaking and canoeing on the Tennessee River and its tributaries.

“We received the States Organization Boating Access Outstanding Service Award last year. I was able to go up and receive that award. In talking to the other states, the work we’re doing on boating access is heads and shoulders above what anybody else is doing nationwide. I thought we were doing good, but, after talking to the other states, we’re doing great. That’s a testament to all the hard work our Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Marine Resources divisions have done in providing access.”

The Commissioner also highlighted one of the WFF proposals for the 2026-2027 regulations, which is the adoption of a new regulation regarding hunter safety in the state.

“We have always used hunter orange or blaze orange as the only approved color for hunting,” he said. “I got a letter from a young lady asking why Alabama didn’t allow fluorescent pink for hunting as more women are getting into the outdoors. That would be something we should look at in Alabama to help participation for females and youth hunters. I did not know that was a thing. I looked it up, and now there are 14 states that allow fluorescent pink in addition to hunter orange.

“As we try to grow the number of people in our state that enjoy the outdoors, we propose we add fluorescent pink to hunter orange as approved, high-visibility colors that can be used in the field.”

WFF’s Lewis addressed the other proposals, including a recommendation to remove the restrictions on the use of turkey decoys and allow use for the entire season, starting in 2027. WFF has proposed a 16-inch minimum total length and two-fish creel for saltwater striped bass and hybrids, which aligns with the Marine Resources regulations. The prohibition of the sale of skipjack herring will be extended to statewide instead of just the Tennessee River and its tributaries, and the fox squirrel season will be closed in Tuskegee National Forest at the request of the U.S. Forest Service.

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