Anniston seeks to annex remaining part of refuge

ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) - Officials with the city of Anniston want to annex the remaining part of a wildlife refuge.

City manager Brian Johnson says an annexation would eliminate liability when the city provides police and fire protection there.

The Anniston Star reports (https://bit.ly/1n74u0s ) that the city is backing a bill in the state Legislature to annex the part of the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge that remains outside the city limits. The refuge is controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The 9,000-acre refuge sits on the eastern portions of the former Fort McClellan. The city annexed the other parts of the former Army post after it closed in 1999.

The Fish and Wildlife Service website says the refuge was created in 2003. Much of the refuge is already part of Anniston.

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Information from: The Anniston Star, https://www.annistonstar.com/