Sea turtles, shorebirds, migratory birds, and the Alabama beach mouse all make their homes among the dunes and water’s edge on the beaches of the Fort Morgan peninsula, and the state’s conservation department has been working to protect those habitats.

Recently, the state of Alabama expanded its efforts to create a wildlife protection area by buying 79 acres of undeveloped beachfront property in Fort Morgan, according to a news release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The agency told AL.com the price tag was $16 million.