Forever Wild to acquire 120 acres in Colbert
CHEROKEE — The Forever Wild Land Trust is moving forward with plans to acquire additional property in Colbert County that would expand public hunting and recreation areas.
The agency’s board of trustees recently approved moving forward with the acquisition of two tracts in Colbert County totaling 120 acres. The Freedom Hills Heard Addition includes 80 acres next to the Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area, while the Riverton Community Hunting Area Walker Chapel Hollow tract includes 40 acres.
The properties are part of a larger effort by Forever Wild to protect more than 6,100 acres across Alabama. The board approved moving forward with seven tracts in six counties.
Patti McCurdy, state lands division director for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said the Colbert County properties would add acreage to two existing public hunting areas. The additions would give the public more access to land for outdoor activities.
The board’s vote does not finalize the purchases. Instead, it allows Forever Wild staff to begin the next steps in the acquisition process.
McCurdy said those steps include working with landowners to make an appraised value offer. If the landowners agree, Forever Wild must complete a second appraisal, as required by the constitutional amendment that created the program.
Environmental site assessments and title reviews must also be completed before the purchases can move forward.
“It’s a process with the landowners as well as the due diligence process, so we’re excited about the possibility,” McCurdy said.
The Forever Wild Land Trust was created in 1992 through a constitutional amendment. The program acquires land to protect natural areas, expand recreation opportunities and add to state parks and wildlife areas.
Colbert County Administrator Roger Creekmore said he was glad to see Forever Wild continue investing in land preservation in the county.
He said the county benefits from the Forever Wild properties located throughout Colbert County, including through annual payments the county receives for having the land trust’s property.
“I’d almost call it a stipend that they give the county for the land that they hold,” Creekmore said.
In 2023, Colbert County began receiving about $52,000 annually from Forever Wild based on the more than 32,000 acres of land the program maintains in the county. The funds are intended to compensate counties that support Forever Wild properties.
