SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The City Council unanimously approved a resolution during Monday’s regular meeting pledging local support for the conservation efforts in progress at Live Oak Landing as the issue moves before the Baldwin County Commission in the coming weeks.

Rep. Randy Davis and Bestor Ward of Ward Properties outlined plans for the roughly 735 acres near the intersection of Interstate 65 and Alabama Highway 225 during the council’s work session, touting the conservation project’s potential draw for professional angler tournaments and other tourism dollars. The property adjoins the 800-acre Bicentennial Park, so the county would have control and management of the entire property, Davis said

“All we’re asking is for a letter of endorsement from the City of Spanish Fort, no money,” Davis said, noting that a united front is needed to help secure the grant funding needed to bring the project to fruition.

Specifically, supporters of the Live Oak Landing project are seeking to secure Coastal Impact Assistance Program funds, established by Congress to offset the impacts of oil and gas activities on the outer-continental shelf. Oil- and gas-producing states along the shelf, including Alabama, receive some of the funds automatically but must apply for additional funds through the state.

Davis said Baldwin County typically receives about $8 million per year in direct CIAP funding, while Mobile County receives about $9 million annually. The remaining 75 percent of the funds are then distributed statewide through a grant process.

According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Web site, CIAP funds can be used for:

Considering the angling implications, Davis said an estimated 25,000 freshwater fishing licenses are issues in Baldwin and Mobile counties alone, and national tournaments hosted in cities such as Guntersville routinely generate an economic impact of about $10 million on the local economy.

When asked how supporters intend to fund the $15 million project, Davis said the current plan is to ask the Baldwin County Commission for $2 million over two years and the state for $4 million to complement a $3 million federal estuary grant designed to promote coastal protection. The San Francisco-based Trust for Public Lands is working with the group to secure grant funding for the balance.

“There is not another location on the (Mobile-Tensaw River) delta that can accommodate the Live Oak plan,” Ward said.

In other business the council:

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on April 19, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.