Public asked for input on how to spend allocated BP funds

Public asked for input on how to spend allocated BP funds
Little Lagoon & Perdido Pass Watersheds part of program

Public input for the watershed plan being created by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (mobilebaynep.com) is being accepted online through April 29. The survey is available at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/7939d16c14fa4056a18fe5946e994042. The watershed plan will prioritize projects for potential funding, primarily using BP oil spill funds. The plan includes the Little Lagoon and Perdido Pass watersheds.
“It is vitally important the public has input. You have the information needed to make the right decisions,’’ said Tracy Holiday of the Islands of Perdido Foundation.
“This plan will help determine where RESTORE funds are spent in our area,’’ added Holiday. “The number of people in attendance will directly impact the plan, help show priorities and is vital to the project.’’
“The LLPS Board feels like this plan should serve us well for years on how to preserve the good and, importantly, remediate problems in the watershed,’’ said Little Lagoon Preservation Society President Dennis Hatfield. “The planning effort has City and County buy-in and support. Our watershed is our home and livelihood. No one knows the Lagoon like folks who live on it, and their input is critically important.’’
Ron Phelps, Dan Bond and Mark Acreman from the City of Gulf Shores, and Phillip West of the City of Orange Beach are also on The Gulf Frontal Watershed Management Plan steering committee, along with Holiday and Hatfield.
“In order for this plan to be the best it can be and serve us for years to come, we need citizen attention to the plan and most importantly, input and ideas,’’ Hatfield said.
The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) was created under the provisions of the federal Clean Water Act to promote the wise stewardship of coastal water quality. Its staff works with businesses, industry leaders, and hundreds of volunteers to protect the delicate watersheds of the Gulf Coast from emerging environmental challenges.
The MBNEP hopes to complete the process of selecting a firm to develop a conceptual engineering master plan based on new and available data by May. For more info, contact Holiday at (251) 752-2245.