North Florida Land Trust
Media Release
May 1, 2020
Jacksonville, Fla., April 29, 2020 – North Florida Land Trust and Nassau County Leadership are hosting an online public workshop on Tuesday, May 5 at 1 p.m. to discuss land conservation efforts within the county. NFLT’s Director of Strategic Conservation will be leading the webinar to discuss Nassau County’s Conservation Lands Acquisition and Management program, also known as CLAM.
Board of County Commissioners Chairman, Daniel B. Leeper, stated, “Nassau County is committed to conserving environmentally sensitive land and wildlife and to ensuring our wetlands and floodplains remain functional. We know this is important to many of the residents as well. We look forward to hearing from those individuals and working with them to develop this conservation plan to protect our natural habitat areas.”
The public workshop will be an opportunity for citizens to give input on the environmental future of Nassau County
Nassau County Commissioners voted last year to place a $30 million bond referendum on the November ballot that would be restricted to the purchase of conservation lands. The county is interested in acquiring these lands on their own or with partners and is working with NFLT to create the conservation plan. NFLT is asking the public for their input on what is most important to protect in Nassau County under the CLAM program.
“We want to know what the people want for the environmental future of their county as we prepare for what is ahead,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “Part of what we do as a nonprofit land conservation organization is to work with communities to help them find a way to protect their natural spaces. We encourage the public to join us next Tuesday and let us know what you want. This information is vital to us as we move forward to create Nassau County’s conservation plan.”
NFLT will be helping to develop the criteria for what lands should be acquired. They are asking for the public input to help determine what lands will best serve the county’s environmental needs to ensure sustainability, maintain the rural character of the county and provide outdoor recreational opportunities.
Citizens can register for the webinar on the Nassau County website athttp://www.nassaucountyfl.com/933/Conservation-Lands. The registration link will also be posted on the county’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nassaucountyfl. For those who cannot attend, the webinar will be recorded and posted on the county’s website.
About North Florida Land Trust
North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to protect the natural resources, historic places and working lands (farms and ranches) throughout north Florida. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org.
Nassau County ranks in the bottom ten statewide for land conservation. Given the recent and projected growth of the county, NOW is the time to identify, purchase and conserve the county’s most valuable parcels to preserve what little remains of this region’s natural heritage. Step one is voting to support the bond program. Nothing can be done without adequate funding. Please vote for the bond program this November.