Project ID Number is 129

A. General Information Suggestion State:
Entity/Sponsor: Weeks Bay Foundation Organization Website: http://weeksbay.org
Contact Name: Ben  Raines Title: Executive Director
Contact Address: 11401 U.S. Hwy 98
Fairhope , AL   36532
Phone Number: 251-990-5004   Email: ben@weeksbay.org
Suggestion State: Reviewed Suggestion Date: 8/28/2014
B. Project Classification - Primary Ecological/Environmental (Including Water Quality)
C. Project Classification - Secondary
D. Project Information
Project Name: Harrod Tract Addition to the Weeks Bay Reserve
Project Location: Lower Fish River, Baldwin County, Alabama
Project State(s):
AL
County(s):
Baldwin
Watershed/Basin: Fish River Watershed Latitude: 30.430389 Longitude:   87.828282
E. Project Description The Harrod Tract is one of the largest remaining undeveloped parcels of swamp, marsh and river shoreline in coastal Alabama. It includes 7,600 feet of Fish River shoreline, including frontage along Turkey Branch and Waterhole Branch, two of Fish River's primary tributaries. Multiple smaller bayous are present on the property. The Weeks Bay Foundation and the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve along with the State of Alabama have collaborated over the years to protect several thousand acres of wetlands around Weeks Bay, Mobile Bay, and the Fish River watershed. The Project property is adjacent to previously protected wetlands and is the largest privately-owned tract in the lower part of Fish River. The intent is to protect the property through fee simple purchase by the Weeks Bay Foundation or the State of Alabama. Location and Conservation Values: The Project property is located in Baldwin County, Alabama, near where Fish River meets Weeks Bay which joins to Mobile Bay. The northeast side of the 231-acre property is adjacent (bisected by Waterhole Branch) to approximately 171 acres of land conserved by the State of Alabama as part of the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Project property has approximately 7,600 feet of undisturbed waterfront on Fish River, Turkey Branch and Waterhole Branch and approximately 110 acres of delineated wetlands comprised of fringing marsh grading into hardwood cypress and gum swamp. The extensive marsh edge provides habitat for a host of estuarine organisms including shrimp, crabs, and fish. Hundreds of species of migratory birds use the habitat annually, while more than a dozen resident species of shore bird are found at the edges and within the property along with the expected array of wetland flora and fauna. As the extensive wetlands are immediately adjacent to higher elevation uplands, the wetlands serve to absorb and clean runoff and preserve water quality in Fish River. The adjacent uplands included in the property provide areas for wetlands to retreat under projected sea level rise. The upland areas are suitable for restoration as pitcher plant bog and pine savanna. The property is listed in the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program "Conserving Alabama's Coastal Habitats: Acquisition and Restoration Priorities of Mobile and Baldwin Counties" and also falls within the Land Acquisition Area indentified by the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan.
F. Water Quality Projects and Ecological Benefits
G. Resiliency Considerations (Ecological; Social-Ecological; Social; Socio-Economic and/or Community Resilience)
H. Project Status
Property/Resource Acquisition:
Current Landowner or Holder of the Easement: 		The Harrod Family Recent Appraisal? No
Project Planning/Design: In Progress Project Permitting
No Permits
Project will take   1  Months to Begin and an additional  1  Months to Complete
Can be implemented in phases? No
No Phases
Is this project included under a regional or statewide plan/initiative? Yes
If so, list: Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan and Land Acquisition Area, the National Estuary Program acquisition plan
Project Feasibility and Likelihood of Success:
Leveraging/Complementary Projects:
I. Project Cost
Estimated Cost: $2,700,000.00 Maintenance/Operational Cost: $2,500.00
Nature of Cost: Monitoring and Stewardship Sources for Funding Costs: Depends who owns the property. Either Weeks Bay Foundation or the Weeks Bay Reserve.
Level of Confidence: High New business startup or expansion? No
Basis/Method of Estimation: Sale price
Matching Funds Available:
No Matching Funds
Project Partners:
No Project Partners Entered.
J. Project Impact on Community
Community Need: The project would allow the creation of a large waterfront park, with multiple ponds and more than a mile of riverfront, with multiple access points for kayaks. Avoided Costs: N/A
Indirect Benefits: N/A Environmental Benefits: Yes
Environmental Impacts: Conserve rare and essential habitats, including salt marsh, sawgrass, freshwater swamp, and upland maritime forest. Preserve the ecological function of the marsh edge, which is essential habitat for economically valuable fish and shellfish. Project Monitoring and Performance: N/A
K. Resource Benefit(s):
Benefit(s): Marine Mammals  |  Shellfish  |  Water Column  |  Birds  |  Terrestrial Wildlife   |  Sediment/Benthos  |  Reptiles/Amphibians  |  Shoreline  |  Fish  |  Vegetation  |  Recreational Use and Infrastructure  |  Air 
Benefit State- or
Federally-listed Species? 		Yes If so, list: Manatee, bald eagle, red cockaded woodpeckers, Alabama red-bellied turtles,