Year: 2017
Project(s):
Relevance
In Alabama’s coastal zone, real estate values are escalating and competition for land use is increasing. As tourism development and population growth drive property values higher, locally owned working waterfront businesses are disappearing. Investments in alternative land uses after natural and human-caused disasters also have caused conversion of traditional waterfront uses.
Response
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium supported and led the Alabama Working Waterfront Coalition as it elected officers, created a board of directors, adopted by-laws and used information from Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant’s Legal Program to file articles of incorporation with the state of Alabama. After years as an ad hoc committee, the stakeholder group was able to operate as an independent entity. Coalition members from a wide range of water-related economic sectors were able to speak with one voice in larger political and economic-development forums.
To improve its visibility, the coalition developed and implemented a Sea Grant-funded marketing plan. Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant also successfully competed for funding from the National Sea Grant Law Center to develop two websites: "Accessing the Alabama Coast" and "Accessing the Mississippi Coast," which contained information on coastal access options.
Results
Numerous Sea Grant efforts led the development of the Alabama Working Waterfront Coalition and ultimately to the Alabama Legislature recognizing the importance of working waterfronts. The Legislature created the Alabama Waterfront Access Study Committee, which Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant facilitated. The committee studied issues related to working access to Alabama's waterways. Its final report included recommendations regarding planning/zoning, financial incentives, and socio-economic and infrastructure issues.
On the national level, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant was selected by the National Working Waterfronts Network to co-host the 4th National Working Waterfronts & Waterways Symposium. More than 200 participants from 24 states and Canada increased their capacity to address working waterfront issues in their communities.
The Alabama Working Waterfront Coalition’s branding efforts led to broader recognition and outreach opportunities. On social media, the coalition has nearly 400 Twitter followers and more than 200 Facebook followers.
Recap
The importance of working waterfronts in Alabama is better recognized at a local, state and national levels, and stakeholders are better informed of working waterfront issues. (2017)