Each year the County and City governments in Baldwin County develop numerous project to better serve the residents and area infrastructure. Voters often think the cost of the projects is completely paid for by their taxes. Many of the local projects are paid for by GOMESA funds.

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Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced more than $45 million for 23 projects in Coastal Alabama supported by funds from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA). These projects focus on environmental education and outreach, boating access, water quality improvements, recreational access improvements and other important projects that are included in the original intent and authorized use of GOMESA funds. Governor Ivey made the announcement during the Southern States Energy Board Conference at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama.

“The GOMESA projects announced today will go a long way to continuing to improve the environment and quality of life in Coastal Alabama,” said ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship. “I appreciate the work of the staff at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and our project partners as they work to leverage GOMESA funded projects with the good work happening with Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill projects and other funding sources. The environmental education enhancements, water quality improvements and public access expansion projects announced today will have a long-term positive impact. Coupled with the previous projects, GOMESA funding is making generational improvements in our coastal counties.”

LIST OF LOCAL PROJECTS AND AMOUNT FUNDED:

Baldwin County:

• Gulf Shores Waterway Village Pedestrian Park, $3,606,465
• Gulf State Park Campground, $5,000,000
• Foley Nature Parks Expansion, $1,500,000
• Baldwin County Perdido Bay Boardwalk and ADA Improvements, $2,530,000
• Lillian Sustainable Stormwater and Parking Lot Improvements, $396,340
• Magnolia Springs Restoration Project, $878,346
• Renovation of the Daphne Recreation Center, $4,000,000
• Silverhill Oscar Johnson Park Improvements, $1,500,000
• Loxley Youth Soccer Complex, $1,000,000
• Bay Minette Nature Park master plan and engineering design, $1,000,000
• Baldwin County Solid Waste Disposal Authority Orange Beach Recycling Center, $1,500,224

Mobile County:

• Dauphin Island Multi Park Access Improvements, 1,400,000 dollars.
• University of South Alabama Delta and Coastal Alabama Wildlife Fisheries and Carbon Flux Observatory, 1,500,000 dollars.
• Mobile County River Delta Marina and Campground, 2,000,000 dollars.
• Chickasaw Stormwater Rehabilitation Project Phase Two, 2,000,000 dollars.
• City of Mobile Brookley by the Bay Southern Activation Zone, 3,500,000 dollars.
• Mobile Riverfront Phase One amendment, 4,000,000 dollars.
• Argosy large artificial reef, 2,500,000 dollars.
• Administration of GOMESA, 398,599 dollars.
• Citronelle Youth Field Lighting Enhancement, 1,280,000 dollars.
• Creola Public Safety Building, 2,000,000 dollars.
• Creola Wetlands Acquisition, 350,000 dollars.
• Satsuma Gunnison Creek Kayak Boat Launch and Boardwalk Improvements, 2,013,473 dollars.

The funding flows from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. The law shares 37.5 percent of qualified revenues from federal offshore oil and gas leases with Gulf Coast states and eligible coastal local governments. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources administers the state portion.