Coastal Foundation 2019 Annual Report

Sharing the Beach!

From the ACF Board President and Executive Director

On behalf of the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) Board of Directors, Advisory Council members, and staff, we thank everyone who has, for the past twenty-six years, shared their time and financial resources with ACF. 2019 was a banner year for the organization as we continued improving and protecting Alabama’s precious coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation.

As noted below, ACF volunteers donated 23,785 hours in 2019! When you read this report, we ask that you consider volunteering your time and making a financial contribution in 2020 to support ACF’s vital work for our coastal environment.

In 2019, the Alabama Coastal Foundation:  Offered more volunteer opportunities than in 2018;  Expanded our Advisory Council and staff (see next page);  Provided quality programs for elementary, middle, high school and undergraduate students in addition to working with partners on the Utilities United campaign;  Conducted the fourth annual Green Coast Council Sustainability Summit;  Sustained and grew the Alabama Oyster Shell Recycling Program;  Expanded Share the Beach, Alabama’s sea turtle conservation program;  Relaunched the Inter-Agency Coastal Regulations program; and,  Continued to expand partnerships through our inclusive environmental stewardship approach.

The improvements we were able to offer our Share the Beach program in 2019 would not 2019 Hours Volunteer Category be possible without Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment 19,022 Habitat Restoration (NRDA) settlement funds provided by the 2,927 Education Programs Alabama Trustee Implementation Group. In 981 Coastal Relations the pages that follow, we highlight other 855 Administrative leaders and partners who are working to 23,785 Total # of Hours achieve common ground solutions to our *$604,839.84 Total Value of Hours local environmental problems. Our economy *Dollar amounts calculated by using the $25.43 volunteer rate as. . . . is based on a healthy environment and vice . reported by the Independent Sector: www.independentsector.org versa. We ask that you give this report to others to engage them in this shared effort.

Thank you again for your involvement in Alabama Coastal Foundation’s important work. We look forward to collaborating with you and others this year and in the future as we protect and celebrate Alabama’s unique coastal environment.

Rebecca Dunn Bryant Mark Berte

2019 Board President Executive Director 2

2019

ACF Board Officers

Rebecca Bryant Katherine Kuhn/Toni David Clark Martha Peek President Thomason in December Coastal Relations Lawrence Crompton Doug Phillips Susan Pruet Coordinator Vice President Joe McEnerney George Crozier Rod Platt Lee Walters Special Projects Coordinator Secretary Paulette Doggett Casey Rains

Mark Eiland Mike Reynolds Treasurer Share the Beach Cullan Duke Ben Raines Program Director Board Members Walter Earnest Ken Robinson Susan West Pam Ramos Brown Public Engagement Coordinator Leslie Gahagan Mike Rogers

Charles Chester Meg Goecker Tom Schlinkert ACF Advisory Council John Dindo Johnny Adams John Goodloe Mike Shelton Gary Ellis Bill Agerton Bob Higgins Judy Stout Brett Gaar

Greg Alexander Tracy Holiday Roberta Swann Bart Greer

Neil Johnston Beverly Allen Hugh Hunter Beth Thomas

Brenda Litchfield Wendy Allen Tom Hutchings Gena Todia

Amber Ramsay Cathy Barnette Catherine Hall Kiser Elizabeth Tonsmiere

Sam St. John Ann Bedsole Bethany Kraft John Valentine

ACF Staff Dan Bond Frank Leatherbury Bill Walton

Mark Berte Executive Director Jo Bonner Mike Manning P. J. Waters

Elizabeth Bevan Clay Bryant Herb Malone Phillip West Lead Biologist

Joe Busta Mike Marshall Joe Womack Pamela Brewer Administrator Terry Burkle Jimbo Meador Chandra Wright Judy Duke Education Coordinator Ashley Campbell Tedson Meyers Lee Yokel 3

National Fish and Wildlife Participation Foundation as a part of their Gulf Coast Conservation BP Oil Spill Funding Grants Program in 2016. The Alabama Coastal Restaurants and ACF Foundation continues to work supporters provide enough Our Share the Beach Program with partners to help the Gulf funds to keep it going! If you As our cover photo suggests, of Mexico heal from our would like to contribute, please 2019 was the year of the sea country’s largest offshore oil visit: www.joinACF.org turtle for ACF, as we helped to spill, which happened nine strengthen and grow Share the years ago. We work As of December 31, 2019, over Beach (STB), Alabama's sea collaboratively to focus the 9.8 million shells were collected turtle conservation program! associated fines and penalties through the Program. That NRDA funding allowed us to on efforts that help improve enables 25 acres of oyster hire Dr. Elizabeth Bevan,

and protect our natural habitat to be restored! improve our data resources, the foundation of The AOSR Program is one of the management, and increase our economy. activities that ACF does as a our volunteer/public part of the Create a Clean engagement! In addition, Water Future Campaign. For Susan West, who is our Public more information about the Engagement Coordinator, Campaign, please visit: spearheaded a Sea Turtle www.cleanwaterfuture.com Lighting Retrofit pilot project.

Amazing Team Leaders, under Alabama Oyster Shell STB Director Mike Reynolds’ Recycling Program direction, organize volunteers The Alabama Oyster Shell each year to patrol the beach, Recycling (AOSR) Program educate the public about marked its third anniversary in these endangered creatures, October 2019. That program conduct late-night/early collects oyster shells from local morning nest observations and restaurants that had previously Youth Leadership Mobile assist with supply and thrown them away and paid to For the eighth year in a row, equipment preparations. Go to take them to a landfill. Instead, ACF led the environmental www.alabamaseaturtles.com those restaurants allow ACF to portion of the Youth Leadership to learn how you can help in recycle that precious resource Mobile program. The session Alabama’s sea turtle season, back into the water so they included discussions about which is May through October. can help new oysters grow! The what it means to be an shells also provide habitat for environmental steward and other shellfish and finfish, limit help maintain the resources erosion and improve water that we all share. As we did last quality. year, ACF arranged a tour of Auburn University’s Shellfish The funding to start the AOSR Laboratory which is located at Program was provided by the the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. 4

The Alabama Coastal Foundation approaches our work through “inclusive environmental stewardship.” Eco-Team Alabama Coastal Cleanup effort was an amazing success In 2019, the Eco-Team staff and Thanks to the leadership of and you can learn about our volunteers recycled again at Alabama PALS and the water and wastewater, see a Mardi Gras. In addition, we Alabama Department of “fatberg” and even take a quiz helped at The Hangout Music Conservation and Natural to test your knowledge about Festival for a second year in a Resources, volunteers across this vital aspect of our local row by special invitation from coastal Alabama were able to quality of life! ZeroHero! participate in the 32nd Annual Coastal Cleanup on September Wolf Bay Osprey Video Camera 21. As in the past, ACF staff ACF worked with The Nature encouraged people to Conservancy and the City of volunteer and also helped Orange Beach to offer live to coordinate two zones: 1) on video again of an osprey family the beach at the Flora-Bama this past spring. This nest in Wolf and 2) on the shores of Perdido Bay has been seen all around

Bay. the world and also has lesson In the seventh year of recycling plans for third grade teachers. at Mardi Gras, dedicated Leave Only Footprints We will let you know the next volunteers collected a total of ACF continues to educate time the camera goes live! 650 lbs. of aluminum, plastics, vacationers in Gulf Shores and and glass. Orange Beach about the Leave The Hangout Oyster Cook-Off Only Footprints campaign so Since we started this Green Events Planning Guide visitors can help protect the Participation section with ACF also highlighted our environment. oysters, we will finish it by saying Coastal Alabama Green Events that The Hangout contracted Planning Guide which we have with ACF to recycle their oyster published on our website. This shells at their Oyster Cook-off free guide shows individuals, this past fall! We were honored groups, and businesses how to participate and enjoyed easy it is to host a sustainable educating attendees as well! event. Go to: www.joinACF.org

MLK Day of Service Cleanup Utilities United As part of Mobile United’s Also in 2019, the Alabama Natural Resources Taskforce, Coastal Foundation invited ACF again helped to clean up every utility in coastal Alabama One Mile Creek, Three Mile to participate in the Utilities Creek, and Eslava Creek over United campaign. The purpose the Martin Luther King, Jr. of that effort is to discuss ways Holiday weekend in 2019. Over to help increase public 250 volunteers came out to education regarding what clean up those areas to honor people and businesses can do Dr. King’s legacy. to help our environment. The 5

resources while gaining a Place were the students from deeper appreciation for why Christ the King Catholic School! Education they are important to protect. Fifth graders study detailed K-12 Education: Inspiring and The festivals provide 4th grade material about our Gulf Coast Informing Future students experiences and environment to compete for Generations of Leaders instruction about our water, scholarships and the pride of Education is the key to ensuring conservation, and the winning Coastal Kids Quiz! that citizens, community environment. Congratulations to all of the leaders and elected officials teams who competed in 2019, make responsible decisions. and thank you to the ACF is committed to providing volunteers who come each accurate, high quality, science year to support this important -based information to citizens educational initiative. and students of all ages. Estuary Corps Gulf Coast Bay Buddy Program Last year, 30 middle school The Gulf Coast Bay Buddy students participated in the program teaches basic Mobile Bay Estuary Corps with conservation concepts to the Clif Bar Family Foundation students in grades 1-3. Trained Each student participates in graciously providing funds volunteers go to the three hands-on activities: again to continue this excellent elementary schools to present. building a model watershed, program! This four-day In addition, teachers can taking part in a water filtration intensive summer course introduce students to the online demonstration, and navigating teaches students about presentation through our web the Water Relay obstacle Alabama’s ecosystems. This site: www.joinACF.org course! After these activities, program, which is a they enjoyed a fantastic raptor collaboration between ACF Water Festivals show from the Mobile County’s and the Dauphin Island Sea In 2019, ACF not only had the Environmental Studies Center. Lab, allows students to visit a honor to lead water festivals in The lead funding for this effort is nature preserve, a recycling Mobile and Baldwin Counties, from the Gulf Coast Resource center, and an engineering lab but also was invited back to Conservation and and to conduct science Escambia County to host Development Council! experiments aboard the R/V several festivals there! Last year, Alabama Discovery. 2,312 fourth graders learned 18th Annual Coastal Kids Quiz more about their local water Coastal Kids Quiz took place on April 25 at the Daphne United Methodist Church. This round-robin style competition is done in conjunction with the Project CATE Foundation. In 2019, St. Patrick's Catholic School came in First Place, Second Place was Bayside Academy, and in Third 6

Estuary Corps Video Project Mobile Bay Green Drinks Friends in Low To help promote the Estuary ACF is one of the organizers of Places Corps Middle School program, Mobile Bay Green Drinks, an It is nice to ACF produced interviews of informal gathering both for have friends… professionals in various science environmental networking and and local fields and posted them on our for learning about current businesses YouTube Channel. That project topics from local speakers. that support was funded by the Mobile Bay Green Drinks takes place on our important National Estuary Program. the second Wednesday of work! We were each month in Fairhope and humbled and the third Wednesday in Mobile. honored to You can find a link to the receive a call Mobile Bay Green Drinks from all of the Facebook page from our web breweries in coastal Alabama site. This has become a well- saying that they wanted ACF to established free educational be the charitable cause event so we hope you can behind their collaboration attend and bring a friend! beer called Friends in Low Places. We thank the following breweries for making that Community Education: delicious New England Style IPA Enhancing Environmental happen: Big Beach, Braided Citizenship To celebrate our environment Livable Communities Coalition River, Fairhope, Iron Hand, Old and educate people about our In 2019, the Coastal Alabama Majestic, and Serda Brewing. It precious natural resources, the Livable Communities Coalition sold out so fast that everyone is Alabama Coastal Foundation marked its fifth year of working making plans to release it participates in outreach events to make the southern part of again in 2020 so stay tuned! throughout the year. We have the state a better place to live, enjoyed the opportunity to work, and play! Highlights from attend Snowbird Fest, Zydeco 2019 include promoting bicycle Festival, and Earth Day events safety by providing free training throughout coastal Alabama. to law enforcement officers In addition, ACF helped to that was funded by AARP of educate people at various Alabama! Go to the following discovery days and the first web page to join the Coalition: annual TurtleFest at the Gulf www.joinACF.org/lcc Dr. Jim McClintock State Park Pier to engage new Keeping our tradition of inviting supporters to protect our The Underwater Forest excellent speakers, ACF was environment. Ben Raines’ The Underwater honored to have Dr. James Forest, which ACF and This Is McClintock, Endowed Alabama produced, is about University Professor of Polar and an ancient cypress forest Marine Biology at the University discovered sixty feet of Alabama at Birmingham, underwater off the Alabama speak last fall about his coast. ACF is trying to make this Antarctic research regarding a National Marine Sanctuary! climate change impacts. 7

By connecting diverse stakeholders, we believe we can find innovative CooperationCooperation solutions to the environmental challenges we face in Alabama. Green Coast Council Crepe Myrtle Trail Ride Connect To Your Coast The Green Coast Council ACF, working with all of the Outreach Events (GCC) is a forum for business great organizations under Since we became a statewide and industry leaders who Mobile United's Natural organization in 2012, ACF has practice and promote the Resources Taskforce, helped been very fortunate to principles of environmental organize the fifth Crepe Myrtle conduct our “Connect To Your sustainability. Through Trail Ride in the spring of 2019. Coast” outreach events meetings, conferences and This Ride helps to educate throughout Alabama. In 2019, actions, the Council provides citizens about our local natural we held events in Birmingham, positive environmental resources while promoting the Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, leadership and invites you to benefits of biking in the natural Auburn, Gulf Shores, and become a member! beauty of coastal Alabama. Cullman. We held our third event in Huntsville at Yellowhammer Brewery and our third event at Serda Brewing in Mobile, too!

2019 Sustainability Summit Cooperation: Birds of a Feather In January, the GCC’s annual ACF finished its contract work Sustainability Summit took with Birmingham Audubon place with Chandra Wright, Good Life Ride Society—which is now called Director of Environmental & ACF was extremely happy to Alabama Audubon last year. Educational Initiatives at The host the 10th Annual Good Life We helped support their Lodge at Gulf State Park, Ride on Saturday, May 10, at Coastal Bird Stewardship speaking about all of their the beautiful Lodge at Gulf Program which protects and sustainability efforts. It was a State Park. Riders were treated monitors our beach nesting special with three scenic routes in the birds. We look forward to day with Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry future partnerships! ACF Trail as well as excellent post- Advisory ride food and beverages in Inter-Agency Coastal Council the largest beach-view Regulations Program member ballroom on the Gulf Coast! In addition, last year ACF Jimbo We will be back at the Lodge rebooted our Inter-Agency Meador this spring with even more Coastal Regulations program receiving focus on eco-tourism and the which are quarterly meetings our environment so note the date to have open dialogue Lifetime on the back cover and then regarding coastal regulatory, of Conservation Achievement go to to register: permitting, and enforcement policies and actions. 8 Award! www.GoodLifeRide.org

2019 Alabama Coastal Foundation Partners Non-Profit Groups and  Friends of the Mobile Business, Industry and  Infinity Bicycles Governmental Agencies Tensaw Delta Higher Education  Infirmary Health  Girl Scouts of the USA  Iron Hand Brewing  AARP of Alabama  Gulf Coast Center for  Abundant Power  JM Family Enterprises  Alabama Audubon Ecotourism and  Alabama Gulf Seafood  Logical Computer Solutions  Alabama Association of Sustainability  Alabama Power Company  Louisiana State University Nonprofits  Gulf of Mexico Alliance  Allen, Allen & Foster  M and M Bank  Alabama Coastal Heritage  Gulf Shores & Orange  American Sign &  Maynard Cooper & Gale Trust Beach Sports Commission Advertising Company  McCarron Insurance  Alabama Cooperative  Infirmary Health  Auburn University Extension Service  Medstar Emergency  Islands of Perdido  Baldwin County EMC Medical Services  AL Department of Foundation  Baldwin County Sewer  Mobile Area Water and Conservation & Natural  Keep Mobile Beautiful Resources  Bayside Orthopedic Sewage Systems  League of Women Voters  Alabama Department of  Big Beach Brewing  Mobile Oyster Company  Legacy, Partners for Env. Management  Black Warrior Brewing  Moffat & Nichol Environmental Education  Alabama Gulf Coast Reef Company  Naman’s Catering  Little Lagoon Preservation & Restoration Foundation  Bluegill Restaurant  OK Bicycle Shop Society  Alabama Marine Mammal  Bon Secour Fisheries  Original Oyster House  Mississippi-Alabama Sea Sighting Network  Braided River Brewing  Page & Palette Grant Consortium  Alabama Rivers Alliance  Bryant Bank  Payne Environmental  Mobile Area Chamber of  Burns, Cunningham & Services  Alabama SAVES Commerce Mackey  Penske Truck Rentals  Alabama State Port  Mobile Bay Audubon  Catherine Hall Designs  Alabama Trails Commission Society  Perdido Beach Resort  Coastal Alabama Business  Alabama Water Watch  Mobile Bay National  Pro Cycle and Triathlon Chamber  Back Country Trail Estuary Program  Publix Supermarket  Coastal Radiology  Baldwin County Cattle &  Mobile Bay Sierra Club  Red Clay Brewing  CoastAL Gulf Shores Fair Association  Mobile Baykeeper  Republic Services Restaurant  Baldwin County Health  Mobile Botanical Gardens  Riviera Utilities  Cobalt The Restaurant Department  Mobile County Dept. of  Rogers and Willard  Columbia Southern University  Baldwin County Education Public Health  Saunders Yachtworks  Corsentino Chiropractic Coalition  Mobile County Wildlife &  Sea-N-Suds Restaurant  Baldwin County Trailblazers Conservation Association  Cosmos Restaurant  Serda Brewing  Boy Scouts of America  Mobile Environmental  Crowder Gulf  South Baldwin Regional  City Governments of Justice Action Coalition  dakinstreet architects Medical Center Bayou La Batre, Daphne,  Mobile United  Daphne Family Practice  Dauphin Island, Fairhope,  National Fish and Wildlife  Daphne Utilities  STEMWorks Foley, Gulf Shores, Mobile, Foundation  Druid City Brewing  Straight to Ale Orange Beach, Prichard, &  National Estuarine  Eastern Shore Chamber  Tacky Jacks Spanish Fort Research Reserves in  Eastern Shore Cycles  Thames Batre  Coastal Alabama Clean Apalachicola, FL; Grand  EBSCO Industries Water Partnership  The First of Baldwin County Bay, MS; & Weeks Bay, AL  EcoSolutions  Coastal Conservation  The Grand Hotel Golf Resort  National Oceanic and  Fairhope Brewery Association of Alabama and Spa Atmospheric Administration  Felix’s Fish Camp  The Lighthouse Restaurant  Coastal Land Trust  Ocean Conservancy  Fitness Factory  The Nobel South  Community Foundation of  Partners for Environmental  Flora-Bama Lounge, Yacht  Thompson Engineering South Alabama Progress Club and Ole River Bar  Tonsmeire Properties  Conservation Alabama  Project CATE Foundation  Georgia Roussos Catering  Trustmark Bank  County Governments:  South Alabama Coalition  Good People Brewing  University of AL in Birmingham Mobile and Baldwin of Non-Profits  Goodwyn Mills Cawood  University of Alabama  Delta Bike Project  Team Share the Road  Gulf Chrysler  University of South AL  Dauphin Island Sea Lab  The Fuse Project  Gulf Shores and Orange  Volkert & Associates  Discovering Alabama  The Nature Conservancy Beach Tourism  Vulcan Materials  Clearwater  The Peninsula of Mobile  Gwin’s Printing  WATERSHED Revival  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  Downtown Mobile Alliance  Half Shell Oyster House  Wetland Resources  U.S. Green Building Council  Environmental Education  Hand Arendall Harrison Sale Environmental Consulting  Weeks Bay Foundation Association of Alabama  Hargrove Engineers  Wild Native  Wolf Bay Watershed Watch  Environmental Law Institute  Hix Snedeker Companies  Wintzell’s Oyster House  Youth Leadership Mobile  Friends of Bon Secour  Holcim  Wind Creek Hospitality National Wildlife Refuge ACF provides factual information and fosters trust among business, governmental and environmental leaders. 9

ACF Board Commitment Please save the 2020 Cocktails In 2019, the Alabama Coastal for the Coast date that is Foundation Board of Directors, noted on our back cover! who serve ACF without financial compensation, again Planned Giving Campaign had a 100% financial To help us fulfill our mission, contribution rate of giving! please consider creating a planned giving bequest which ACF Associations and is easy to do thanks to our Recognition Planned Giving Campaign. ACF remains a member in good standing with both the Creative Ways to Give Alabama Association of Non- As you can see from the Profits and the South Alabama following page, we do a lot Coalition of Non-Profits. In with the resources we have Administration 2019, ACF also helped to been provided. If you are and Best conduct a fourth South unable to make a financial Alabama Non-Profit Summit donation, we hope that you Practices providing valuable will volunteer your time or think professional development for of creative other ways to Sustainability Statement board and staff members. support our work. Consistent with its mission, the Alabama Coastal Foundation In addition, ACF Executive Here are two ideas to get you conducts our business in a Director Mark Berte continued thinking in that direction: way that lessens our impact his service as Chair of Mobile on the environment. To this United’s Natural Resources end, ACF prioritizes electronic Committee. communications over paper (encouraging electronic Cocktails for the Coast delivery of invoices and The 9th Annual Alabama meeting materials), recycles Coastal Foundation Cocktails paper, glass, metal and for the Coast took place on plastics, encourages November 7th to honor employee carpooling, offers people, telephonic options to join organizations, meetings and allows and businesses employees to telecommute who help our from home. In addition, ACF’s coastal staff and its Board of Directors environment. are committed to transparency and We had fresh accountability in all the local oysters from Mobile programs ACF administers and Oyster Company and the in the stewardship of the delicious food from the Grand financial resources it receives. Hotel Golf Resort and Spa. 10

Giving ACF appreciates every person, group, and business who The Alabama Coastal Foundation gives special thanks to all of the foundations that supported our work this year: made a contribution in 2019. Thank you!  Clif Bar Family Foundation  Coastal Alabama Heritage Trust  Dunn Foundation  Erie Hall Meyer Charitable Fund  ExxonMobil Foundation  Hargrove Foundation  J. K. Lowder Family Foundation  Lillian C. McGowin Foundation  National Fish and Wildlife Foundation  National Fish and Wildlife Foundation  The Caring Foundation BC/BS of AL  The Project CATE Foundation, Inc.  Thompson Holdings Foundation  Tonsmeire Charitable Foundation  Walmart Community Grants  Young Boozer Family Foundation 11

Important Gatherings Scheduled in 2020*

 January 31, Noon— ACF Annual Meeting/Sustainability Summit (8:30- 3:30) at the University of South Alabama (USA).  February 18, 6:00pm— Connect to Visit, write, call, email or Your Coast (CTYC) Montgomery at Jubilee Seafood. join online to Connect to  Spring Water Festivals: 3/17, 3/18, Alabama’s Coast in 2020: 3/27, 5/13, and 5/14.  March 21, 11:00am— CTYC Huntsville Visit at Yellowhammer Brewing. Alabama Coastal Foundation  April 23, 8:30am— Coastal Kids Quiz at Daphne United Methodist 250 Conti Street, 2nd Floor Church. Mobile, Alabama 36602  May 1-October 31— Alabama Sea Turtle Nesting Season. Write  May 9— Good Life Bicycle Ride at PO Box 1073 The Lodge @ Gulf State Park. Mobile, Alabama 36633  May 15-17— Eco-Team partners with ZeroHero at The Hangout Music Festival. Call  June 9 and 18— Wetland Compliance (251) 990-6002 Workshops (Mobile and Baldwin).  July 22, 9:00am-3:30pm— South Email Alabama Non-Profit Summit at USA then [email protected] Summer CTYC Mobile @ Serda Brewing,  August 5— National Oyster Day.  Facebook.com/  August 27, 11:00am— CTYC Gulf Shores at Big Beach Brewery. AlabamaCoastal  September 12— TurtleFest at Gulf State  Twitter.com/ Park Pier. AlabamaCoastal  September 19— Alabama Coastal  Instagram.com/ Cleanup. AlabamaCoastal  October 29, 4:00pm— Fall CTYC Mobile  Youtube.com/ at Braided River Brewing. AlabamaCoastaFdn  November 12, 6:00pm— Cocktails for the Coast at the 5 Rivers Delta To donate, be added to our Resource Center. newsletter email list, or  December 3— CTYC Birmingham at volunteer, please contact us Back Forty Brewing Birmingham. above or visit: *Other activities, volunteer opportunities, and meetings are announced through our www.joinACF.org web site and email newsletter.

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