Alabama Environmental Facts

• Alabama by many estimates contains ten percent of America's natural resources.
• About one-twelfth of all the water that flows into the oceans from the lower 48 United States flows through Alabama.
• Alabama has 77,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 500,000 acres of standing water.  Alabama has more navigable channels (1,438 miles) than any other state. (Alabama Issues, 1998, Bayne)
• There are over 4,000 species of plants, 850 species of vertebrate animals, and nearly 250 species of fresh water mussels in Alabama (Nature Conservancy of Alabama).
• Only Hawaii has lost more native species to extinction than Alabama (Nature Conservancy of Alabama).
• Thirty-one species of Alabama fishes (10%); 119 species of Alabama mussels (69%); 97 species of Alabama gill-breathing snails (65%); 10 species of Alabama fresh water turtles (43%), are recognized as being either extinct, endangered, threatened, or of special concern (Alabama Issues/ Lydeard and Mayden, 1995).
• Sport fishing activities alone account for between $1 and $2 billion in Alabama's economic gain (Alabama Issues, 1998).
• Four of Alabama's River systems are rated in the top ten most threatened rivers in the country (American Rivers).
• Alabama is ranked 50th in the nation in environmental protection by the Green Index.
• Alabama has less public land than any other Southeastern state (Wildlaw).
• According to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory, Alabama is the sixth most polluted state and Mobile County it the eighth most polluted county in America.
• Most of Alabama's environmental laws and protection policies have not been updated since the late 70's and early 80's, leaving Alabama's natural resource policies obsolete.
• Logging in Alabama 's national forests, excessive chip milling, and suburban sprawl have cost Alabama some of its greatest forest resources and have enhanced soil erosion and the degradation of many Alabama streams.