Alabama Power, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts are sponsoring a project to enhance wildlife habitat along transmission line corridors. The project is called Alabama Wild Power.

Property owners in 18 Alabama counties who have Alabama Power transmission lines crossing their land will be eligible to receive funds for brush removal and plantings that promote, attract, shelter and feed wildlife in the transmission line rights-of-way. Approved applicants will receive a $50 per acre incentive payment. Counties included in the program are Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Choctaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Houston, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Russell, and Sumter.

Alabama Power will accept electronic applications from May 1 through May 31 from eligible landowners and leaseholders. The program will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis with priority going to new participants. The local district conservationists will be responsible for developing conservation plans with qualified applicants. Alabama Power will verify rights-of-way and issue the incentive payments.

After April 30 applications should be submitted electronically by visiting http://www.alabamapower.com/wildpower . This website also contains the program details. Your local Soil and Water Conservation District office can be reached for additional information. Please see below for local phone numbers.

Alabama Power owns and operates 14 hydroelectric plants in Alabama, providing clean, low-cost energy. Alabama Power provides affordable, reliable electric service to 1.3 million customers in the lower two-thirds of Alabama. Alabama Power is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company , which operates more than 32,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Southeast. Southern Company is one of the largest producers of electricity in the United States.

              Local contacts for Alabama Wild Power Program
    Natural Resources Conservation Service - District Conservationists

  Montgomery                          Elmore
  David Barrow - Program Leader       Pam Mason
  E-mail - david.barrow@al.usda.gov   E-mail - pam.mason@al.usda.gov
  Phone: (334) 223-7257               Phone: (334) 567-2264
  Fax:  (334) 223-7458                Fax:  (334) 567-2254

  Autauga                             Greene
  John Harris                         Winford Andrews
  E-mail - john.harris@al.usda.gov    E-mail - winford.andrews@al.usda.gov
  Phone: (334) 365-5532               Phone: (205) 372-3271
  Fax: (334) 365-1130                 Fax: (205) 372-0684

  Barbour                             Hale
  Ed Holley                           Sutton Gibbs
  E-mail - ed.holley@al.usda.gov      E-mail - sutton.gibbs@al.usda.gov
  Phone: (334) 775-3266               Phone: (334) 624-3265
  Fax:  (334) 775-9524                Fax: (334) 624-8419

  Bullock & Macon                     Houston
  Zona Beaty                          Tom Hughes
  E-mail - zona.beaty@al.usda.gov     E-mail - tom.hughes@al.usda.gov
  Phone: (334) 738-2079               Phone:  (334) 793-2310 ext. 115
  Fax: (334) 738-3839                 Fax: (334) 792-3695

  Chambers                            Lowndes
  Eddie Jolley                        Pete Wheeler
  E-mail - eddie.jolley@al.usda.gov   E-mail - pete.wheeler@al.usda.gov
  Phone:  (334) 745-2511              Phone: (334) 548-2767
  Fax:  (334) 745-4870                Fax: (334) 548-2015

  Choctaw & Marengo                   Perry
  Tim Poole                           Larry Hardy
  E-mail - tim.poole@al.usda.gov      E-mail - larry.hardy@al.usda.gov
  Phone: (205) 459-2496               Phone: (205) 926-4360
  Fax: (205) 459-2496                 Fax: (205) 926-4384

  Dale                                Sumter
  Craig Peters                        Dan Curtis
  E-mail - craig.peters@al.usda.gov   E-mail - dan.curtis@al.usda.gov
  Phone:  (334) 774-4749              Phone: (205) 652-7521
  Fax: (334) 774-9951                 Fax: (205) 652-9615

  Dallas                              Russell
  Doug Gresham                        James Currington
  E-mail - doug.gresham@al.usda.gov   Email - james.currington.2@al.usda.gov
  Phone: (334) 872-2611               Phone: (334) 297-6692
  Fax: (334) 872-3824                 Fax: (334) 291-1612

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SOURCE: Alabama Power