Priorities and challenges

The priority goal of the Stewardship program at the Reserve is to protect native habitat and the associated biological diversity and natural ecological processes.  The greatest immediate threat to habitat within Reserve boundaries is land use change at the watershed level. The Weeks Bay watershed lies in Baldwin County Alabama which from 1990 to 2000 was the second fastest growing county in Alabama and placed thirty eighth in the nation for housing growth. The Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area of Baldwin County ranked number one in the nation for population growth between 2000 and 2007. The commercial and residential development linked with this rapid and likely continuing increase in population growth has resulted in significant land use alteration. The outcome has been habitat loss and degradation which has direct implications to water quality, species richness and species abundance.
Additional threats to the health of native habitat and species are many. The introduction of new and proliferation of existing non-native invasive species is a persistent issue.  Modification of natural fire regimes has negatively impacted fire dependant habitats. Environmental measurements of mercury are indicative of past and continuing deposition which risks human and habitat health.

Actions

Acquisition of priority land tracts is the most straight forward path towards the goal of negating the immediate habitat threat of development. As such the Weeks Bay Reserve staff in collaboration with Weeks Bay Foundation staff and other stake holders assertively pursue opportunities of acquisition. Existing Reserve holdings are actively managed to mitigate the affects of exotic invasive species introductions and fire suppression. Staff encourages reasonable changes in zoning regulation that help conserve existing habitat and provide opinion regarding Corps of Engineers permit applications that may negatively impact Reserve holdings. Larger scale issues such as sea level rise and atmospheric deposition of mercury pose a greater challenge requiring action by appropriate bodies at the national and international scale. 

Another important Stewardship program function is to work with the education and research staff of the reserve to provide informative and creative education and outreach programs to the public. Incorporation of these programs allows Reserve staff to provide science based information to present and future participants of our democratic system.