Secretary Bernhardt Visits Southern Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast

Date: Friday, June 19, 2020
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON – This week, Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt traveled along the Gulf Coast where he conducted several site inspections of National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service units, met with the hardworking staff, participated in a prescribed burn and visited with local outdoor recreation businesses. (View the entire press release here.)

In Alabama

The Secretary toured the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center and inspected the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. At the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center, the Secretary met with Chris Blankenship, the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Robert Craft, the Mayor of Gulf Shores, and other Alabama DCNR staff where he received a briefing on their fish hatchery and the construction of artificial reef systems.

Secretary Bernhardt was joined by Congressman Bradley Byrne at the Bon Secour NWR to conduct a site inspection and thanked refuge staff for their hard work to keep the refuge accessible to the public throughout the pandemic. They also took part in a coastal restoration project planting black needlerush.

Under the leadership of the Trump administration, Interior has increased safety measures and inspections for offshore oil and gas development and completed numerous conservation projects to restore beaches and natural habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.

In Florida

Secretary Bernhardt inspected the Gulf Islands National Seashore, arriving to Fort Pickens by a new ferry boat purchased with restoration funds. 

The Secretary traveled to Panama City Beach where he toured Half Hitch, a family-owned bait and tackle shop. Interior’s mission to conserve and promote outdoor recreation is furthered by small businesses like Half Hitch. Businesses are rebounding as US retail sales surged 17.7 percent in May.

The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have formed a critical partnership to restore Tyndall Air Force Base and collaborate on hurricane recovery projects. At Buck Beach, the Secretary was briefed on ongoing work to restore barrier islands and protect the endangered beach mouse.

In Tallahassee, Secretary Bernhardt conducted a site inspection of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and received a briefing from the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center, which trains thousands of wildland firefighters. The Secretary then took part in a prescribed burn to mitigate the risks of catastrophic wildfire. In 2019, Interior reduced fuels on more than 1.4 million acres of land, over 216,000 of these acres were in Florida.

In the News

Secretary of the Interior visits Alabama

U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt toured the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center (CPMC) in Gulf Shores and conducted a site inspection at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday.

At the CPMC, the Secretary met with Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft, and DCNR staff where he received a briefing on their fish hatchery and the construction of artificial reef systems.

During the tour, the Secretary viewed the brood stock holding room, zooplankton room, recirculating aquaculture system, and ponds.

Secretary Bernhardt then toured the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge to conduct a site inspection and thank the refuge staff for their hard work to keep the refuge accessible to the public throughout the pandemic. The Secretary and Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) toured the refuge by boat; and took part in a coastal restoration project planting black needlerush.

Interior Secretary Bernhardt Promotes Outdoors Opportunities During Alabama Tour

Opening America’s vast federal lands to outdoors recreational activity is the expressed goal of David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, who visited Alabama’s Gulf Coast this week for a whirlwind tour.

Secretary Bernhardt heard a presentation about the mission and work of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) from Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship and followed with a tour of the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores. The Secretary then joined Alabama Congressman Bradley Byrne for a visit to the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.

Full article here

Secretary of the Interior visits Panama City Beach business

For Thomas Putnam, president of Half Hitch, keeping his employees on payroll in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t an option.

“We all knew that we were going to get out of this and that things were going to get better,” Putnam said. “It really wasn’t a question, it was just how long we could hold on.”

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and Congressman Neal Dunn visited the tackle shop’s location on Thomas Drive on Tuesday.

According to Dunn, who oversees Florida’s second congressional district, the visit was a chance for Bernhardt to see firsthand the important role the area plays in the country’s outdoor recreational economy.

Full article here.
Photo gallery here.