Foley is getting a major boost for its environmental efforts. The city will receive $1.5 million to expand its nature parks and preserve system. Mayor Ralph Hellmich says the funding is critical to making more outdoor spaces available to the public. The money will help the city continue growing the Graham Creek Nature Preserve, which already covers about 650 acres.
Governor Kay Ivey made the announcement on Tuesday at the Southern States Energy Board Conference at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear. The funding comes from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, commonly called GOMESA. In total, 23 projects across coastal Alabama will share more than $45 million from the 2025 grant cycle.
The Graham Creek Nature Preserve holds special significance for the region. It ranks as the largest municipal nature preserve in Alabama. City leaders have been working steadily to add more land and expand public access to the site…