Honorable Bob Riley - Alabama Department of Conservation and ...
Honorable Bob Riley - Alabama Department of Conservation and ...
Honorable Bob Riley - Alabama Department of Conservation and ...
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<strong>Department</strong><br />
Overview<br />
The <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>and</strong> Natural<br />
Resources is an executive <strong>and</strong><br />
administrative department <strong>of</strong><br />
the State <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alabama</strong> created<br />
by statute. The Commissioner,<br />
appointed by the Governor<br />
as a member <strong>of</strong> his cabinet,<br />
advises the Governor <strong>and</strong><br />
Legislature on management<br />
<strong>of</strong> freshwater fish, wildlife,<br />
marine resources, waterway<br />
safety, state l<strong>and</strong>s, state parks,<br />
<strong>and</strong> other natural resources.<br />
Scope <strong>of</strong> Operations<br />
The <strong>Department</strong>’s scope <strong>of</strong> operations includes the<br />
administration, management <strong>and</strong> maintenance <strong>of</strong> 22<br />
state parks, 23 public fishing lakes, three freshwater fish<br />
hatcheries, 35 wildlife management areas, two waterfowl<br />
refuges, two wildlife sanctuaries, a mariculture center with<br />
35 ponds, <strong>and</strong> 645,000 acres <strong>of</strong> trust l<strong>and</strong>s managed for<br />
the benefit <strong>of</strong> several state agencies, the General Fund<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Alabama</strong> Trust Fund. Other departmental functions<br />
include maintenance <strong>of</strong> a State L<strong>and</strong> Resource Information<br />
Center <strong>and</strong> administration <strong>of</strong> the Forever Wild l<strong>and</strong><br />
acquisition program.<br />
Organization<br />
During Fiscal Year 2009, the <strong>Department</strong> had five<br />
operational divisions <strong>and</strong> seven support sections. The<br />
operational divisions were Marine Police, Marine Resources,<br />
State L<strong>and</strong>s, State Parks <strong>and</strong> Wildlife <strong>and</strong> Freshwater<br />
Fisheries. Support sections were Accounting, Diversity<br />
<strong>and</strong> Recruiting, Engineering, Information <strong>and</strong> Education,<br />
Information Technology, Legal, Personnel <strong>and</strong> Payroll.<br />
The Commissioner was advised by a 10-member<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> Advisory Board appointed by the Governor.<br />
Division directors managed the <strong>Department</strong>’s programs<br />
under their jurisdiction through authority delegated by the<br />
Legislature <strong>and</strong> the Commissioner. Concerted efforts were<br />
made to balance needs <strong>and</strong> requirements against resources<br />
<strong>and</strong> available funding to satisfy present <strong>and</strong> future public<br />
<strong>and</strong> resource requirements. Active public education <strong>and</strong><br />
voluntary participation programs were exp<strong>and</strong>ed <strong>and</strong> new<br />
plans were implemented to achieve maximum multiple-use<br />
benefits consistent with resource conservation.<br />
<strong>Department</strong> Goals<br />
The <strong>Department</strong>’s major goal is to promote the<br />
statewide stewardship <strong>and</strong> enjoyment <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alabama</strong>’s natural<br />
resources, <strong>and</strong> to ensure that future generations will be able<br />
to enjoy these resources.<br />
license fees, <strong>and</strong> m<strong>and</strong>ated interest from endowment <strong>and</strong><br />
federal regulations. The Forever Wild Program receives<br />
interest income from the <strong>Alabama</strong> Trust Fund. Specific<br />
revenue sources for the five operational divisions are as<br />
follows:<br />
Marine Police: Boat registration fees, fines, marine<br />
gas tax <strong>and</strong> federal grants.<br />
Marine Resources: Saltwater fishing licenses,<br />
fines, marine gas tax <strong>and</strong> federal grants. Marine<br />
Resources also has an endowment but it has<br />
not grown enough to enhance operations.<br />
State L<strong>and</strong>s: Management fees from the sale <strong>of</strong><br />
timber, minerals <strong>and</strong> various leases on state<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s administered under the L<strong>and</strong> Based Asset<br />
Management Program. Further, the division<br />
receives additional federal grants which<br />
support specific programs.<br />
State Parks: User-generated funds in the form<br />
<strong>of</strong> entrance, rental, lodging, golf <strong>and</strong> other<br />
recreational fees. State Parks received a modest<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> funding from cigarette tax revenue.<br />
Wildlife <strong>and</strong> Freshwater Fisheries: Fishing <strong>and</strong><br />
hunting licenses <strong>and</strong> permits; fines; waterfowl<br />
stamps; federal allocations from excise taxes on<br />
sporting arms, ammunition, archery gear <strong>and</strong><br />
some fishing tackle; <strong>and</strong> federal grants. Interest<br />
income, although at slightly declining interest<br />
rates, continues to be generated by the Game<br />
<strong>and</strong> Fish endowment fund for resident lifetime<br />
hunting <strong>and</strong> fishing licenses. Direct donations<br />
<strong>and</strong> voluntary state income tax refund check<strong>of</strong>fs<br />
for the Nongame Wildlife Program continue<br />
to decrease from previous fiscal years.<br />
<strong>Department</strong> Overview<br />
Funding<br />
The <strong>Alabama</strong> <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>and</strong> Natural<br />
Resources receives no General Fund support. Funding for<br />
the <strong>Department</strong> is generated through special revenues,<br />
which include federal money, cigarette taxes, user <strong>and</strong><br />
ALDCNR 08-09 Annual Report 5