Project Summary

1. Project ID
Name	Conservation Strategies on Private Lands: Developing a Comprehensive Resources Management Plan
Region	Gulf of Mexico Region
State	AL
Location	Mobile and Jackson Counties
Date of this update	8/3/00

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project description (100 words or less)

While there is currently nearly 15,000 acres of public conservation lands at Grand Bay, several thousand acres of significant coastal habitat remain in private ownership. Much of this property is either coastal marsh or adjacent wetland/savanna. The Conservancy proposes to work in partnership with a large private property owner to develop a comprehensive resource management plan for the subject property. Such a plan will assist the property owner with decisions relating to development (i.e. gas pipeline/processing/exploration, timber harvest, fill, exotic species control, sales etc.). Resource planning would be based upon current knowledge of the site and some basic inventory if needed. Land use classifications, soils, and wetlands would be mapped for use in the plan. Management recommendations such as timber harvest, fire plans, non-game species management, and hydrologic modifications will be made. Watershed planning and Best Management Practices would also be incorporated into the plan.

Since the Conservancy's focus at Grand Bay is on community based conservation and partnership building, our principle conservation strategies include: acquisition, easements, registry program and management agreements. The Conservancy does not anticipate acquiring large tracts for our management, but rather working on these strategies in cooperation with public and private partners. Working on resource management plans for key tracts is an important aspect of our work with private property owners.

Preliminary funding requests for this project would be $50,000 to develop a resource management plan on a biologically significant parcel at Grand Bay. Currently, we have several potential landowners with which we could partner on this project. This project will address aspects of the Gulf Program's issue areas and is located within one of Alabama's and Mississippi's GEMS.

The Nature Conservancy's Grand Bay Savanna project is an intact landscape mosaic of natural communities that once characterized the southern Gulf Coastal Plain. Covering some 150,000 acres in southern Jackson County, Mississippi and southern Mobile County, Alabama, much of the vast biodiversity at Grand Bay is concentrated in the botanically rich wet pine savanna habitats. Other dominant community types include various woodland/shrublands, coastal maritime forests and estuarine communities. The biological significance of Grand Bay lies in the diversity of species and natural community types in addition to the ecological processes that maintain them. The estuarine communities and associated coastline are one of the least developed and most productive along the Mississippi and Alabama coasts. The biological productivity of these estuarine communities is among the highest in the country.

The Conservancy has established a community-based project at Grand Bay, working within the local community to carry out long-term conservation. There are a variety of conservation partners working on different aspects of protection work at Grand Bay, including Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Alabama's Forever Wild Nature Preserve and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. Grand Bay has also been included as one of the Gulf of Mexico Program's Gulf Estuarine Management Sites (GEMS) for both the states of Alabama and Mississippi. At least one waterbody within the project area is classified as "impaired waters." The Conservancy has recognized Grand Bay as part of its "Last Great Places" campaign of the 1990's.

The Conservancy has a long-term commitment to fulfilling our conservation goals at Grand Bay. We can best facilitate or initiate many of the appropriate conservation strategies for Grand Bay, however we can only be successful by working with and in cooperation with a multitude of private and public partners.

The primary stresses impacting the natural communities at Grand Bay include: habitat loss, fire suppression, exotic species, and alteration of hydrology and water quality degradation. While conservation work is ongoing at Grand Bay, there is a major need for additional data including biological inventory, water quality baseline information, hydrologic flow regimes etc. Efforts must be undertaken to encourage long term local planning on private and public properties including development of comprehensive resource management plans. In all community based initiatives it is imperative to involve the public sector, considering the needs of the local community. The Conservancy is embarking on more visible volunteer and outreach programs to promote conservation actions on appropriate lands. We are also involved with a local citizens group and are attempting to promote local planning and compatible economic development opportunities.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

	  Cash	Federal	
			Non Federal 	State government 
					Local government
					Private industry
					Public interest groups
			Total	


	  In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar 	value)
	
	  Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)
                

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

9. Project Status

• Initiation date:
• Completion date:
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C)

10.Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments