MONTGOMERY– The Alabama conservation leadership transition will take effect Oct. 1, when Ben Stimpson Jr. becomes commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday, Sept. 15, that current Commissioner Chris Blankenship will retire from state service at the end of September. Ivey selected Stimpson to lead the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources through the remainder of her tenure.

Blankenship began working for the department in 1994 as a conservation enforcement officer in the Marine Resources Division. He later served as the division’s director and as deputy commissioner. Ivey named him acting commissioner in June 2017 and permanently appointed him that August.

According to the Governor’s Office, Alabama funded $525 million in outdoor recreation improvements during Ivey’s administration. That total includes more than $350 million in upgrades across Alabama State Parks.

Additionally, the administration completed more than 50 boating-access projects and acquired more than 110,000 acres. Officials also directed more than $318 million in Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act funding to 143 projects in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

The release also highlights improvements at the Lodge at Gulf State Park and Cheaha State Park, along with research and regulatory changes involving hunting and fishing. The Governor’s Office says Alabama’s red snapper season grew from three days to nearly 200, while the state increased the deer limit to two does per day.

The state completed, began or approved more than $1.27 billion in coastal oil-spill recovery projects during the same period, the Governor’s Office said. Blankenship credited Ivey and department employees for the work and said he believes the agency and its resources are better than they found them.

Meanwhile, Stimpson resigned from the Conservation Advisory Board to accept the appointment. He previously served as director of corporate operations for Scotch Gulf and Canfor Southern Pine.

Stimpson has also served on the Alabama State Port Authority board, including as chairman in 2023. His other board experience includes the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association.

In the announcement, Stimpson said he looks forward to working with department employees to protect Alabama’s natural resources and outdoor heritage for future generations.

To fill Stimpson’s advisory-board seat, Ivey appointed John “Bo” Cross, owner and chief executive officer of Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. Inc. The appointment took effect immediately.