Foley, AL – (OBA) – With the help of GOMESA funding the city Foley is looking to double the size of the Graham Creek Nature Preserve with the purchase of two tracts of land totaling about 580 acres.

“Currently we have 484 acres plus the other 80 and the 500 we’re going to be a little under 1,100 acres,” Foley Environmental and Nature Parks Director Leslie Gahagan said. “We’re very excited because once we hit that threshold, we will be the largest municipal-owned nature park in the state.”

Gahagan said the city already acquired 80 of the acres with a 2021 $3 million GOMESA grant or Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act money. It gives four Gulf States – Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama – some of the proceeds from gas and oil leases sold in federal waters for exploration.

In Alabama, the state gets the largest allotment and both Baldwin and Mobile counties also receive a smaller portion. In 2021, a total of $35 million total came to Alabama with Baldwin County getting $3.2 million, Mobile County $3.8 million and the state $28 million. In the past, all of the money has been spent in the two coastal counties.

Related story: Bill would require GOMESA money to stay in Baldwin and Mobile counties

Foley is in line for $2.5 million in 2022 and Gahagan said the city is taking aim at 500 acres to the south of Graham Creek that abuts the park and goes all the way to Wolf Bay.

“The $2.5 million grant is going to be to go after the property south of Graham Creek owned by Barber Investments and I’m still negotiating that,” Gahagan said. “We don’t have a contract in hand from GOMESA yet. We’re hoping to have that at the end of the year. That would be all of that land south of us to Wolf Bay or about 500 acres.”

That amount is unlikely to cover the price of the land Foley is looking to acquire but Gahagan said they are awaiting word from other grant applications that could help with the purchase.

“I think the value is going to be a little higher than $2.5 million,” she said. “But we’ve got other grant sources we’ve applied for and we’re optimistically hoping we get those in the next few months and have enough to purchase and restore it and make it to where it’s a public accessible waterfront park.”

Barber owns a total of 1,619 acres in the area south of Graham Creek Nature Preserve in five tracts with the largest being 614 and the smallest 57 acres, according to Baldwin County tax records. Orange Beach owns 81 acres on the east side of Russian Road where it makes a 90-degree turn to the south and that property abuts one of the Barber tracts.

Since its opening, Foley has been steadily adding amenities to Graham Creek by expanding access and recreational opportunities.

“We’ve received a couple of grants to add boardwalks so now we have a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that goes through our swamp area and you can see a lot of the park’s habitat there,” Gahagan said. “And we did another one across Graham Creek on the edge of the navigable area so people could fish off of that and also have access to the other side of the park. Those two amenities are huge ones.”

Another educational feature also paid for with GOMESA money will include growing plants in an indoor farm.

“With that first GOMESA money we also are working – and we haven’t finished getting it installed yet – on a hydroponic operation where we’ll do educational programs on sustainable agriculture,” Gahagan said. “We hope to have all of that and a building with it completed within the next three months and be in production.”

To explore all the amenities offered at Graham Creek check out the website. Among the amenities at Graham Creek are:

• More than 11 miles of trails including a handicap-accessible boardwalk

• Archery park

• Two playgrounds

• Three disc golf courses

• Kayak/canoe launch

• Large pavilion

• Interpretive Center

• Outdoor classroom with stage

• Wedding venues and meeting spaces

• Guided recreation tours of the park including kayak tours, nature hikes and wagon rides to the pitcher plant bog