Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1971 |
| Preceding department |
|
| Jurisdiction | State of Alabama |
| Headquarters | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Department executive |
|
| Website | outdooralabama |
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is the state agency responsible for the conservation and management of Alabama's natural resources including state parks, state lands, wildlife and aquatic resources. ADCNR also issues hunting and fishing licenses for the state. The department promotes wise stewardship and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Supporting those divisions are seven support sections: Accounting, Diversity and Recruiting, Engineering, Information and Education, Information Technology, Legal, and Personnel and Payroll.
The department is led by a commissioner who is appointed by the governor, and advised by the ten-member Conservation Advisory Board. Advisory board members are appointed by the governor for terms of six years. The governor, Agriculture and Industries Commissioner, and Alabama Cooperative Extension System Director serve as advisory board ex officio members, while the ADCNR Commissioner serves as the board’s ex officio secretary.
The department receives no funding from the state general fund. Funds are generated through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, boat registration fees, oil and gas royalties from leases of state lands, and State Parks usage fees. The funds are supplemented with federal matching funds.
The Department's primary responsibility is to manage the wildlife and public lands of Alabama. This includes: 22 state parks, 23 public fishing lakes, three freshwater fish hatcheries, 34 wildlife management areas, two waterfowl refuges, two wildlife sanctuaries, a mariculture center with 35 ponds, and 645,000 acres (2,610 km2) of trust lands managed for the benefit of several state agencies, the General Fund and Alabama Trust Fund. The Department also works to acquire additional land for public use under the Forever Wild Program and provides public education resources.
Alabama has a long history of wildlife conservation which dates back to 1867. That year the first laws in the state to regulate hunting and fishing were introduced. With the creation of the State Oyster Inspector in 1891 the state legislature began to pave the way for the creation of a state conservation agency, and in 1907 the Department of Game and Fish was established through a bill authored by Representative Henry Stegall of Dale County. State Representative John Wallace of Madison County was appointed as the first commissioner of the Department. The Department’s duties included regulating wild bird and game harvests, setting hunting seasons and harvest limits, and issuing certificates for the scientific study of birds. [3]
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