The nonprofit must now raise $350,000 to complete the purchase
North Florida Land Trust has reached an agreement to purchase 245 acres located in the Intracoastal Waterway at J. Turner Butler Blvd in Jacksonville Beach, known widely as the Small Islands. The nonprofit land conservation organization now must raise $350,000, in just one year, to purchase the property and pay for due diligence and stewardship costs. The property comprised of small wet flatwood islands and saltmarsh is located just north of JTB and is owned by Small Group, LLC. The owner had marketed the property at a purchase price of $3.9 million to build extravagant houses on the nine islands in the marsh. That announcement triggered a significant public outcry.
“We are now asking the community to help us raise the money we need to purchase these islands and keep them in their natural state,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “The reality is that development of the property would be extremely challenging, and the owner ultimately felt that the property should be protected for its wildlife and recreational values.”
The nine small upland islands are surrounded by salt marshes and oyster beds creating an extremely biodiverse ecosystem. It is home to rare species including the federally endangered West Indian manatee and the federally threatened wood stork both of which have been seen within the property boundaries.
A 2019 study in the journal “Science” found that three billion birds have been lost since 1970 because of threats including habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. As wetland habitats have declined over the last 50 years due to development, intact wetland systems such as this have become vital to the survival of many species of birds, including plovers, warblers and waterfowl.
Protecting these islands, which are adjacent to the City of Jacksonville Beach’s Cradle Creek Preserve and a University of North Florida Foundation property, will create approximately 1,200 acres of contiguous protected land on the east side of the Intracoastal.
“When you see declining bird populations, it means danger for ecosystems overall,” McCarthy added. “Protecting habitats, like these islands and marshlands, provide hope for the future but we can’t do it alone. We need help from the public to make it possible.”
To help NFLT save the Small Islands visit https://www.nflt.org/small-islands/. The money given will go directly to saving these islands.
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.
