Contract presented to conserve the coast

May 16th, 2016

Mobile, Ala.-- Mayor Stimpson has submitted a $170,000 contract to the City Council for their consideration and approval to begin the first phase of the Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative.

This initiative is aimed at conserving and protecting coastal habitat through land acquisition along the western shores of Mobile Bay and within the City of Mobile. The proposal awards the contract to Moffat & Nichol to begin studies and assessments for potential land acquisition. This includes GIS data gathering and synthesis, habitat and wildlife surveys, restoration needs and net environmental benefit assessments. The contractor will also identify key parcels and assist in preparing a restoration strategy.

The focus will be on habitats that support estuarine and marine fisheries and wildlife including up to 300 acres of habitat in the Dog River Watershed, 40 acres of bay shore property in the Garrows Bend Watershed and 450 acres in the Three Mile Creek Watershed.

"Mobile is a city closely connected to the water, and as the 12th largest port in the country, we were devastated by the BP oil disaster," said Mayor Stimpson. "Citizens lost their jobs, entire industries suffered and many felt hopeless for our future. We've surpassed many of these challenges over the past five years, but we need a resilient coastline to support our growing economy. This project is a strong step in the right direction."

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently awarded the City of Mobile a $259,920 grant to conserve and protect the City's unique habitats. The Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, administered by NFWF, supports projects that remedy harm and eliminate or reduce the risk of harm to Gulf Coast natural resources affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.