TUSCALOOSA LAND TRUST 1

Tuscaloosa Land Trust

Names
University of Alabama
11 November 2013




















TUSCALOOSA LAND TRUST 2


Feasibility Study

Introduction:
We believe that Tuscaloosa, Alabama would benefit from a land trust
organization. The organization would work to protect and conserve the land in
Tuscaloosa. If land was protected and taken care of, we could provide educational and
recreational resources for the community. If we received grant money from the state it
would be used to purchase land throughout Tuscaloosa and convert it to resemble an old
growth forest, natural to the state of Alabama. We would also use money towards
maintaining parks that already exist in Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa is also home to a major
university of which its students would benefit from having well maintained outdoor
environments for recreation.

Background:
The main goal of land trusts is conservation. Having a land trust in Tuscaloosa
could be a basis that could lead to recreational and educational facilities. Currently there
are 8 total land trusts in Alabama, however only three are accredited: Freshwater Land
Trust, Land Trust of North Alabama, and Weeks Bay Foundation. An example of a
project that Freshwater Land Trust worked on is the purchase of Red Mountain Park in
Birmingham, AL from U.S. Steel to create 64 miles of greenways between Bessemer and
Mountain Brook. This project allowed people to bicycle through the greenways without
facing vehicular traffic. Freshwater Land Trust was also able to clean up the most
polluted stream in Alabama, the Five Mile Creek in Jefferson County. Similarly, one of
our goals as a land trust in Tuscaloosa would be to clean up the Black Warrior River.
Tuscaloosas beloved Black Warrior River is home to many different species and the
pollution of the river is causing a decline in biodiversity. Additional goals include
purchasing land throughout Tuscaloosa that was destroyed by the tornado and converting
it into old growth forests and parks, and consequently preventing it from being
commercialized.

Method:
We collected our data via a survey posted on Survey Monkey. We received thirty
responses from both male and female students of different ages. Thirty responses is an
appropriate size sample of the community, and from that sample we were able to receive
the information we needed regarding support, or the lack of, for our organization.

Results:
Of the people who took our survey, the majority, 93.33%, are Alabama students.
Although 90% are not originally from Tuscaloosa, 41.38% of the students are seniors,
followed by juniors with 27.59%, and then graduate students, 17.24%. Thus, the students
who took our survey are familiar with Tuscaloosa. 96.55% of the students answered
yes to the question asking if they enjoy participating in outdoor activities, and each of
the activities we listed were selected more than once. A positive correlation shows
between the students who enjoy outdoor activities and the need for more recreational
TUSCALOOSA LAND TRUST 3

space in Tuscaloosa County, 79.31% believe that yes there is a need. 80.65% of the
students who took our survey believe that the pollution from the Black Warrior River
affects the ecosystem of Tuscaloosa County, directly correlating to the 90.32% agreement
that Tuscaloosa would benefit from an organization that would manage the state parks
and rivers. The results from our survey lead us to believe that Tuscaloosa would, indeed,
benefit from a land trust organization.

Discussion:
Our findings from analyzing our surveys state clearly that a land trust
organization in Tuscaloosa would be beneficial and accepted by students that are
members of the university. We believe that our project is feasible due to this
overwhelming support of the students as analyzed in the surveys. We hope that student
support will help us receive sponsorship from the university. We also hope to receive
federal grants to provide the community with an organization that would help to protect
the lands and recreational facilities that appear to be popular among the students whom
completed our survey.
Our organization would work towards cleaning up the Black Warrior River and
Hurricane Creek, as well as local parks such as Kentuck Park, Bowers Park, and parks
affected by the tornado such as Harmon Park and Jaycee Park. We would also work to
create old growth forests in Tuscaloosa by purchasing and restoring land through planting
trees that are native to Alabama. With the land we purchase we would also have the
ability to create recreational parks for the community to enjoy. If we were to purchase
the land it would prevent the ownership and growth of companies that would intend to
build upon the land. These companies would potentially create waste as a by-product of
their operation, thus adding to the existing pollution in the Black Warrior as well as
natural runoff water. As an organization we would make a point to encourage companies
and the general public to not pollute the land and rivers in Tuscaloosa by advertising via
signs, billboards, fundraisers, social media, and the like.
Tuscaloosa used to be known as the Druid City, its written all over the place,
whether it be walking along campus or driving by the hospital. However, ever since the
2011 tornado struck, our city has slowly but surely moved away from having more green
than gray. Where trees and parks used to stand now there are apartment complexes and
shopping centers. Companies and private investors moved in like sharks to the kill soon
after the tornado, looking to buy up the land that was destroyed, not to restore it, but to
use it to build more buildings we dont need. Our organization would make an effort to
purchase land before the companies get a hold of it and restore it to the green space it was
before the tornado.
Along with the anticipation of sponsorship and federal grants, purchase of the
land by Tuscaloosa Land Trust would give opportunities for charity events. As a
conservation and charity event, a draw hunt could be offered. This would raise money for
a designated charity as well as potentially raise money for the maintenance of the land
and parks. A similar charity fishing opportunity would be available on the river, and
would draw attention to the conservation effort of fish and wildlife by the land trust.
A complication that we foresee is competing against companies when we are
asking for grants and investors. We are confident, however, that our appeal is strong
TUSCALOOSA LAND TRUST 4
enough and that we have enough support from the community to beat out the companies
that want to buy the same land for commercial use.




Limitations on Research Design:
Our research was done in the form of surveying a portion of the community and
researching information about projects that other land trusts have completed. The
surveys provided overwhelming support for a land trust in Tuscaloosa and adequate
evidence that the community would indeed benefit from what we would like to
accomplish. A limitation may be in what we researched about other land trusts. We
know of the projects that the Freshwater Land Trust has worked on however we do not
know the details of the process of finding funding for their projects, or if we could find
similar funding for our prospective projects.

Conclusion:
We, Tuscaloosa Land Trust, have a plan and the support we need to successfully
provide and maintain the natural environment of the city of Tuscaloosa. All we require is
the funding necessary to accomplish our goals of restoring green space and old growth
forests in Tuscaloosa, cleaning up the Black Warrior River, and providing recreational
and educational facilities to the community.