Created in 1992 by a constitutional referendum that garnered 83 percent of the vote, Forever Wild is a program dedicated to preserving Alabama's most beautiful and environmentally sensitive land, all while expanding the recreational opportunities available to the public.
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Forever Wild Articles in Alabama Wildlife - PDF's

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Protect and Reauthorize Forever Wild  |  The Future of Forever Wild  |  Forever Wild's Role in Outdoor Education  | 
Protecting Alabama's Public Hunting Heritage  |  Walls of Jericho, Post Oak Flat, and Henshaw Cove Tracts


A Message from Grady Hartzog, AWF President

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Conservation leaders in Alabama urged the Legislature on Monday to continue the Forever Wild program that in 18 years has preserved about 200,000 acres of wilderness in the state.

But the politically powerful Alabama Farmers Federation is looking for a change in the program that would divert some funds to protect farmland.
Forever Wild uses money from oil and gas revenues to purchase private land. It will expire during the 2012-2013 fiscal year unless the Legislature votes to continue it.

Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley joined tourism, hunting and fishing group officials and other outdoor enthusiasts at a Statehouse news conference to push for renewal of Forever Wild for another 20 years.

Lawley said areas preserved by Forever Wild include the rugged wilderness area along the Alabama-Tennessee line known as the “Walls of Jericho” and the swampy Tensaw Delta north of Mobile.

Farmers federation spokesman Jeff Helms said legislators should look at spending some of the money on other efforts to conserve natural resources — such as soil and water conservation.

“We encourage the Legislature to explore options that would allow Forever Wild to accomplish its mission while supporting other beneficial conservation efforts,” Helms said.

Rep. John Robinson, D-Scottsboro, said he’s “100 percent” for continuing the Forever Wild program. His district is adjacent to the “Walls of Jericho,” an unusual rock formation that is a popular destination for wilderness hikers.

“I’ve hiked it several times and it’s a great place. We have people come from everywhere to see it,” Robinson said.

Alabama Tourism and Travel director Lee Sentell said preserving land through Forever Wild has given people a chance to explore “unpolluted, untrashed” areas ofAlabama.

“I have people say to me that they had no idea that Alabama was such a beautiful state,” Sentell said.

The 2nd vice president of the National Rifle Association, Jim Porter of Birmingham, urged the Legislature to fight off any attempts to raid the Forever Wild funds during a session where lawmakers are expected to face budget shortfalls. He said Forever Wild has provided averageAlabama residents, who can’t afford to lease land, a place to hunt.

“We want that land maintained and we want Forever Wild reauthorized,” Porter said.


Forever Wild Enduring Asset for State
By Tim L. Gothard, AWF Executive Director  |  Released 12.25.09

With hunting season well under way and several months of cool but relatively temperate weather ahead, it is important and timely that we reflect on one of Alabama's greatest assets, both from a land conservation angle and from the perspectives of the everyday hunter, angler and outdoor enthusiast: the Forever Wild program.

Forever Wild was created in 1992 by a constitutional amendment that Alabama voters passed with an overwhelming majority of 83 percent. The program is dedicated to preserving unique lands across the state while also providing outdoor recreation opportunities to our citizens.

Forever Wild obtains its funding from 10 percent of the annual income earned on the Alabama Trust Fund, not to exceed $15 million in any year, and uses that funding to purchase land nominated by the people of our state.

To date, Forever Wild has secured more than 200,000 acres scattered across Alabama. More than 99 percent of these lands are available for public use and 89 percent of these lands also provide public hunting opportunities. Forever Wild lands can be found within an hour of almost every person in our state -- and several tracts are right here in our own backyard.

The Riggins and Big Swamp Creek tracts are two examples. Located in Lowndes County and an addition to the Lowndes Wildlife Management Area, these Forever Wild parcels act as a home for myriad wildlife, including a high population of deer, along with rabbit, squirrel, quail, dove, duck and turkey, to name a few.

The Lowndes WMA is a prime spot for public hunting and the Riggins and Big Swamp Creek Tracts represents a perfect example of what Forever Wild seeks to do -- acquire unique lands and make them available for appropriate public use and enjoyment.

To the north and east, Forever Wild has purchased tracts in Elmore, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties. The Coon Creek Tract in Tallapoosa County provides more access to Alabama's outdoors. The Coon Creek tract adjoins the Yates reservoir and spans 320 acres. Here, visitors will find a range of recreational opportunities, from hunting and fishing to walking, hiking, and ecological education.

The Fort Toulouse Tract in Elmore County provides more outdoors experiences. Accessible by foot and by horseback, this piece of land contains a broad spectrum of plants and wildlife.

In Coosa County, as part of the Coosa Wildlife Management Area, the Coosa River Longleaf Hills tract consists of more than 9,700 acres of mountain longleaf habitat within the Weogufka and Hatchett Creek watersheds and also hosts a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

While Forever Wild strives to expand recreational opportunities to the public, it benefits Alabamians in other ways, too. Protecting ecologically sensitive lands helps protect the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Forever Wild also encourages tourism and the revenues to local areas that come with it.

What's more, Forever Wild appeals to our almost instinctive desire to care for the land God has given us, to be good stewards now so that our grandchildren and greatgrandchildren can experience the beauty of our state in much the same way we experience it today.