Alabama Power has awarded seven new and two continuing grants to conservation and natural resources agencies through the Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy initiatives.

The grants extend a commitment to environmental stewardship by Alabama Power, Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).  Since 2002, Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy have provided more than $11.3 million through 96 grants.

In addition, grant recipients have contributed more than $45.8 million in matching funds, resulting in a conservation impact of more than $57 million. These efforts are helping restore more than 279,000 acres of longleaf pine and other important habitat on public and private lands across the Southeast.

The two new Alabama-related grants under Power of Flight are:

-Alabama Wildlife Federation — to establish a minimum 100 acres of native warm-season grass habitat on 10 sites in high-priority areas of National Bird Conservation Initiative regions in Alabama. This project will help break down native warm-season grass establishment barriers and increase the number, availability and knowledge base of resource professionals, land managers and contractors necessary to increase native warm-season grass habitat.

-Avian Research and Conservation Institute —to produce a range-wide strategic plan for recovery of the remnant, steadily declining population of Southeastern American kestrel.

This project will prioritize specific sites; improve management of habitat and nesting opportunities; perform and evaluate translocations; and select reintroduction sites to establish captive-reared falcons. This project includes activities across the Southeast, including Alabama.