State of Alabama FINAL Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP ...

2. Designated State Agency
The Energy Policy Act’s CIAP provision requires that the Governor designate a State
agency to develop the Plan and represent the State in interactions with the U.S. Department
of the Interior Minerals Management Service for purposes of the Program. On November 3,
2005 Governor Bob Riley designated the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (ADCNR) as the agency responsible for administering the CIAP. Appendix A
includes the letter designating ADCNR as the lead agency. The ADCNR point of contact for
development and implementation of the Plan is M. Barnett Lawley, Commissioner of the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. His contact information is listed below.
Name
Address
State of Alabama designated contact for
development and implementation of the
Coastal Impact Assistance Program
Commissioner M. Barnett Lawley
Alabama Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources
64 North Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Telephone (334) 242-3486
Fax (334) 242-0999
E-mail dcnr.ciap@dcnr.alabama.gov
Further, Commissioner Lawley designated the State Lands Division (SLD) of
ADCNR to administer the day-to-day responsibilities of the CIAP. Such a role is a natural fit
for the State Lands Division, which serves as the state agency sponsor for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) funded Alabama Coastal Area Management
Program and Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The State Lands Division
also managed the NOAA-sponsored CIAP in 2001. The State Lands Division is responsible
for management and stewardship of many state-owned lands, including state water bottoms,
and serves as the single designated title holder for all lands acquired through the Forest
Legacy Program. The SLD administers the State’s Forever Wild Land Trust Program, which
acquires and conserves land for public use.
In addition to the State Lands Division, there are other divisions within the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resource with a mandate to protect and manage
coastal areas: the State Parks Division (SPD), the Marine Resources Division (MRD), and
the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFFD). The State Parks Division manages
Gulf State Park, a 6150-acre tract of coastal habitat located between Gulf Shores and Orange
Beach directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The Marine Resources Division’s mission is to
conserve, protect, and enhance Alabama’s living marine resources in a manner that
encourages sustainable economic development and promotes the responsible stewardship of
State of Alabama Final Coastal Impact Assistance Program Plan
Introduction
- v -