The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has released a draft supplemental restoration plan and environmental assessment to the Alabama Restoration Plan II released in 2018. The Alabama Weeks Bay Land Acquisition (Lloyd Tract): Supplemental Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (PDF, 32 pages) is available for public comment for 30 days through January 6, 2022.
The draft supplemental plan proposes to use the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats restoration type funds from the terminated Harrod Tract project to acquire a property known as the Lloyd Tract. The Lloyd Tract is located along two tributaries of the Fish River, slightly upstream from the Harrod Tract, in the Weeks Bay watershed.
Harrod Tract Acquisition: Terminated
After the 2018 Restoration Plan II was signed, during due diligence, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources found that the seller was no longer willing to sell the Harrod Tract property at a price within the original project budget. Additionally, the presence of extensive cogon grass, an aggressive invasive species, was discovered on the property. The invasive grass would require additional restoration beyond what the 2018 Restoration Plan II originally called for in the Harrod Tract project.
For these reasons, the trustees terminated the Harrod Tract acquisition. Because the previously allocated funds are being proposed for an alternative land acquisition in the Weeks Bay watershed, the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group is evaluating these activities in this supplemental restoration plan. The draft supplemental plan includes details about the proposed land acquisition and initial restoration activities, and an analysis of the anticipated restoration benefits and environmental impacts of the proposed action, which are consistent with those identified and evaluated in the 2018 Restoration Plan II.
Lloyd Tract Acquisition Supplemental Plan: Submit Comments
We’re now asking for public comment on the draft supplemental plan for 30 days through January 6, 2022. Comments can be made online or submitted by mail:
- Provide comments via PEPC at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ALTIGLLOYDTRACT
- Or email: ALTIG@dcnr.alabama.gov
- Or mail comments to:
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, ATTN: Kelly Swindle
31115 Five Rivers Boulevard
Spanish Fort, Alabama, 36527
Following the close of the public comment period, the trustees will consider any comments received. Substantive comments will be responded to or addressed prior to determining whether to issue a final supplemental restoration plan and environmental assessment.