Reviewed by: Cindy Hatcher
Discover these 3 special places protected by Alabama’s Forever Wild program
Reading time: 6 minutes
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Did you know the biggest margin of victory on a conservation ballot measure in U.S. history happened right here in Alabama?
In November 1992, 84% of Alabama voters said “yes” to a constitutional amendment that would save and protect forests, green spaces, wildlife and recreation areas called the Forever Wild Land Trust.
That’s right. Not California, Colorado or Vermont — Alabama held the title.
And the program did not disappoint. Over the past 34 years, Forever Wild has:
- Protected nearly 300,000 acres statewide
- Created 392 miles of recreational trails
- Saved 228+ tracts of land in 35 counties — including nature preserves, wildlife management areas + state park expansion
In 2012, Alabama voters renewed the program for another two decades, receiving more votes than any other constitutional amendment or candidate on the ballot in state history.
Why should you care? These lands are preserved so you can get out and enjoy them and protected for generations to come.
Below, we’re highlighting some of our favorite Forever Wild tracts in Alabama. Follow along in this three-part series to learn why this impactful program matters.
Saving Alabama’s treasured land
Since its inception, Forever Wild’s ability to partner with groups and communities to conserve our natural heritage has been the hallmark of the program.
Three such examples of the program’s ability to save treasured places are:
- Walls of Jericho on the Alabama/Tennessee stateline in Jackson County
- Mobile Delta in Baldwin and Mobile counties
- Forever Wild Field Trial Area in Hale County.
Walls of Jericho: a National Park-like natural wonder
Mike Dalen, President of the Paint Rock Forest Research Center described his first experience hiking into the Walls of Jericho 40 years ago:
“It was a real eye opener, when I first hiked to it. You just go ‘wow, how has this place not been discovered, this national park-caliber site right on the Alabama-Tennessee border.’”
Located within the Paint Rock Valley, one of the most biodiverse places in North America, the place teems with wildflowers, ancient forest, fish, mussels and more.
Plus, the geological makeup is out of this world: Think of it as a large limestone amphitheater carved over millennia, straddling the Alabama-Tennessee border.
“[The Walls are] a giant sinkhole or bowl that was probably a collapsed cave. Turkey Creek, which originates at the Paint Rock River, runs through it.
For a long time, everybody thought they were in Alabama at The Walls, but then GPS came out, and that’s when we learned it is slightly on the Tennessee side.”
Mike Dalen, President of the Board of Directors, Paint Rock Forest Research Center
It took a lot of teamwork to save the 21,453 acres surrounding the “walls” in the early 2000s—12,510 acres in Alabama and 8,943 acres on the Tennessee side.
The Nature Conservancy initially bought the land, saving it from development. They held onto it until Forever Wild was ready to make the acquisition. The Forever Wild Walls of Jericho tract then became part of the 60,732-acre James D. Martin-Skyline WMA which offers benefits for hunting, fishing and all sorts of recreation from hiking to canoeing.
On the Tennessee side, they were able to use the Federal government’s Forest Legacy program to fund their acquisition. Because Alabama and Tennessee partnered on the project, Forever Wild’s acquisition in Alabama was used as the match for the program.
Since the purchase two decades ago, the state of Alabama has doubled its acreage of land protecting the “Walls” to 25,795 acres today.
How the Mobile Delta became known as “America’s Amazon”
In addition to Walls of Jericho, the Forever Wild program is also known for making one of the most significant ecological acquisitions in the past three decades: the purchase of 49,000 acres in the Mobile Tensaw Delta.
The massive Forever Wild acquisition was led by the Alabama Wildlife Federation in 1999.
Following Forever Wild’s lead, many more tracts of land have been protected and preserved throughout the Mobile Delta since the early 2000s by Forever Wild, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited and several federal agencies.
Why does the Mobile Tensaw Delta matter? It is the second largest delta in North America, and, according to scientists worldwide, it is a biological hotspot.
At this one spot on the map of Alabama, we have more turtles, mussels, crayfish, snails and fish than nearly anyplace in the world. Because of its ecological significance, it has earned the title “America’s Amazon.”
Dogs, doves + deer meet a significant ecological habitat
Back in 2007, Forever Wild purchased and created the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area near the town of Greensboro in Hale County. This 4,300-acre tract, which includes both Forever Wild and State Land Division land, contains Black Belt Prairie, one of the rarest and most ecologically significant habitats in the Southeast.
Since its acquisition, the Field Trial Area has become a nationally-renowned location for sporting dog competitions, which draws thousands of people and their dogs to Alabama’s Black Belt.
In November 2025, a 5,000-square-foot event center was unveiled and named after Alabama Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship and his wife, Allyson. A 4,000 square-foot pavilion was also built adjacent to the center. This was constructed on property owned by Alabama Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (ADCNR’s).
“This property highlights our efforts to manage for multiple uses as mandated by the Forever Wild amendment.”
Patti McCurdy, Director of Alabama State Lands
Last year, the Field Trial Area hosted:
- 30+ sporting dog events
- 19 youth dove, duck and deer hunts
- 11 deer hunts for people with physical disabilities
In addition to the sporting events, the green space has been used by Alabama Audubon for their annual Black Belt Birding Festival, one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast.
In total, nearly 5,000 visitors attended these events, all thanks to Forever Wild’s purchase of this prairie 20 years ago.
Next up: Growing Alabama’s state parks
What other places have uniquely benefited from Forever Wild?
In our upcoming second story about Alabama’s conservation program, we will examine the role Forever Wild has played in protecting some of our most cherished lands: our State Parks.
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