Published: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 8:06 PM ??? Updated: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 8:06 PM
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Members of the Alabama Coastal Recovery Commission on Wednesday presented state leaders with a report that detailed the impact of the BP oil spill on south Alabama and offered a series of recommendations on how to protect the coast from future catastrophes.
The 198-page “Roadmap to Resilience” report was the product of three months of work by the 80-plus member commission, created by Gov. Bob Riley on Sept. 27. The report included nearly 300 proposals designed to strengthen the region’s social, environmental and economic vitality.
Commission chairman Ricky Mathews handed bound copies of the report to Riley and Gov.-elect Robert Bentley before a packed room at the Old House Chamber in the state Capitol.
Mathews, the publisher of the Press-Register, was tapped by Riley to lead the commission after heading a similar effort in south Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.
Mathews emphasized the importance of Mobile and Baldwin counties to the rest of the state, noting that the two counties together account for more than 20 percent of Alabama’s general fund revenue.
“Coastal Alabama is the economic engine that drives our entire state,” Mathews said. “It’s critical to all of us that we build a better coastal Alabama.”
The report’s overarching recommendations included fixing the claims process for people and businesses affected by the spill, restoring the Gulf brand for seafood and tourism and ensuring that BP penalty funds are directed to areas where the most spill damage occurred.
Its specific proposals included an array of ideas, ranging from renourishing beaches and oyster beds to establishing a concert series to building a new beachfront convention center near Gulf State Park.
The report offered a comprehensive examination of the coastal insurance crisis. Participants said one of their top priorities was the creation of a trust fund to provide incentives and financing for homeowners to fortify their houses against storms.
“The coastal economy cannot thrive unless we stabilize the cost of insurance and even lower insurance premiums,” said Walter Bell, a former Alabama Insurance commissioner tapped to lead the commission’s insurance committee. “We believe we came up with some good solutions on how to sustain the coast by improving the availability and affordability of insurance.”
Riley announced he was taking immediate action to implement at least one of the commission’s recommendations, issuing an executive order Wednesday to create the Alabama Fisheries Marketing Board.
With an “I Love Gulf Seafood” sticker fixed to his lapel, Riley said the board will be charged with developing a plan to promote Alabama seafood and educating consumers about its quality.
Riley said the seafood promotion board was just the first of many good ideas to come out of the commission. He said the report will serve as a valuable resource for state leaders as they decide how best to spend the billions of dollars Alabama could receive from federal fines levied against BP.
“It may be years before we know the long-term impact, but the recovery process can’t wait,” Riley said. “This gives us a clear plan so that we can come back better than we were before the spill.”
Bentley, who takes office Jan. 17, commended the commission for its work and said he was eager to review the report.
“I look forward to studying these plans and helping you implement them,” he said. “If we can put these plans in place, we can improve the lives of the people who were affected by this tragedy.”
Commission members said the delivery of the report should be viewed as the first step toward a stronger, more resilient coastal Alabama.
“While no one would have ever wished for the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, this opportunity to bring various individuals and communities together was one of the good things that came about as a result of something so bad,” said U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile. ?
