By a whopping 83 percent, Alabamians approved a program that would take a portion of the interest the state receives from oil and gas revenues and use it to buy ecologically sensitive land. That expense would preserve the land for Alabama residents — forever.
Over the years, Forever Wild has been one of the most successful and popular programs in the state.
However, under state law, Forever Wild will expire during the 2012-13 fiscal year — unless it is renewed beforehand either by legislative act or constitutional amendment.
Last year, most people in Alabama figured it would pass without controversy.
Those people were wrong.
When renewal came up, the Alabama Farmers Federation got its supporters to introduce an alternative that would authorize Forever Wild to buy “development rights” from farmers who would promise not to develop their land. ALFA said it was a way to preserve green space. The Mobile Press-Register’s editorial board called it “a forever subsidy for farmers.”
This page agreed with that opinion.
Unfortunately, the brouhaha over the ALFA plan prevented the state Legislature from renewing the program. So it will come up for renewal again in 2011.
At a recent Samford University conference on the environment, both candidates for governor were asked their position on Forever Wild and its renewal.
Republican candidate Dr. Robert Bentley said he supported the renewal of Forever Wild in its current form — no ALFA plan and no funding change.
Democratic candidate Ron Sparks did not address the ALFA proposal, but instead he said he was in favor of renewing Forever Wild as it is currently funded.
Sparks, as state agriculture commissioner, has been close to ALFA and may well be sympathetic to the Farmer’s Federation plan. If he is, he should say so and let opponents of the plan try to persuade him otherwise.
However, if Sparks opposes ALFA’s idea, he should put that opposition on the record. Truth and honesty are the keys.
Forever Wild has bought approximately 209,000 acres that are unique natural habitats and ecological treasures, including most of Coldwater Mountain. Farmland does not fall into those categories.
We urge candidate Sparks to make his position clear, and we sincerely hope that position is the same as candidate Bentley.
Forever Wild is too important to become a political issue.It needs to be renewed and funded as it is.
