year, over 2 million individual birds may be in the refuge area at one time 

 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1980). 



Five species of sea turtles listed as threatened or endangered may use 

 the offshore water adjacent to the area; but are not currently known to use 

 the beaches for nesting. However, the last known loggerhead turtle ( Caretta 

 caretta ) nesting site in Alabama was located on the Ft. Morgan Peninsula 

 (Pensacola quadrangle) (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1980). Five other 

 Federally listed Endangered and Threatened species may occur within the 

 refuge. Prehistoric Indian sites of potential archaeological value are also 

 found in the area (Alabama Historical Commission 1978). 



STATE PARKS 



The Alabama State Parks system had its beginning in 1927, when the State 

 legislature passed the State Land Act, vesting the State's interest in parks 

 in the Alabama Commission of Forestry and placing all State land under the 

 Commission's administration. In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps, 

 cooperating with the State of Alabama, under the supervision of the National 

 Park Service, began the development of state parks. This program generated 

 such interest in recreational development that by the fall of 1935 Alabama 

 had placed 15 park areas under consideration for development. Total land 

 area of the 22 state parks in Alabama in 1935 was 9,415 ha (23,265 acres). 

 Individual parks ranged from 2,056 ha (5,080 acres) to a small historic site 

 of 3 ha (7 acres). It was during this period that the lands for Gulf State 

 Park (Pensacola quadrangle) in Baldwin County were acquired. 



In March 1939 the Alabama State Legislature passed an act creating the 

 Alabama Department of Conservation, as it is known today. A part of this new 

 department was the Division of Parks, Monuments, and Historical Sites that 

 was given jurisdiction over all state park lands. With the creation of this 

 new department came the decision to select 5 of the then-existing 23 parks 

 and carry out extensive development and promotion. Gulf State Park was one 

 of the five chosen; its official opening date was 20 May 1939. 



In 1948 two small park areas were constructed as additions to Gulf State 

 Park in Baldwin County. These were Romar Beach and Alabama Point (Pensacola 

 quadrangle), located on the coastal highway that runs through Gulf State Park 

 to Alabama Point. These two park areas, with a total of 3 mi of beach-front, 

 are important access areas to gulf waters and enable Gulf State Park visitors 

 to reach gulf waters without crossing private property (Jacocks 1977). 



Gulf State Park now offers one of the widest ranges of activities found 

 in any of the Alabama State Parks. Located on 2428 ha (6,000 acres) of land, 

 activities include picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, tennis, 

 and bicycling. Available accommodations range from primitive to improved 

 campsites and from family cottages to a resort inn. Facilities also include 

 a convention facility and an 18-hole championship golf course. The 

 state-owned lands have 5 km (3 mi) of beach frontage and a 251-m, (825-ft) 

 fishing pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico. The resort inn, convention 

 complex, and restaurant are operated by ARASERV, Inc., under a 1973 agreement 



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