The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile recently presented the staff at Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama, with a certificate of appreciation for their cooperation and support. Sector Mobile provides a wide range of Coast Guard operations on the coast of Alabama, Mississippi and west Florida, including search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, aids to navigation, and ports, waterways and coastal security.
Meaher State Park is located on the northeast side of Mobile Bay and its boat ramp is used daily by the public. The Coast Guard uses the ramp as a launch for patrols and training exercises. They have also placed boating safety information at the ramp to educate the public.
During a short ceremony, Captain LaDonn Allen, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Sector Mobile, presented a framed certificate with a Mobile Sector challenge coin to Meaher State Park Superintendent Anna Bryant.
Bryant said the cooperation with Sector Mobile benefits both entities. “The Coast Guard has used the park for patrol missions, night missions and training drills for more than six years,” she said. “Just their presence is a plus for the park. They provide free vessel inspections for recreational boats and, most recently, they helped us reset our channel markers near the boat ramp. Next, they will install ‘no wake’ buoys for us.”
Lamar Pendergrass, Alabama State Parks South Region Operations Supervisor, said the recognition from the Coast Guard is very much appreciated. “We value our working relationship with them to make the coastal waters of Alabama safer,” he said.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Division Commander Larry Jensen said the partnership is a valuable asset to the Coast Guard. “We use the Meaher State Park boat ramp to launch our boats, sometimes after hours, and they just go out of their way to accommodate us. They are all so nice, always greet you with a smile,” he said.
In addition to boating, Meaher State Park provides fishing, camping, birding and hiking opportunities for the public. For more information, visit www.alapark.com/meaher-state-park.
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