JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida Land Trust is looking for donors to help with the purchase of 4.3 acres of land along A1A North.
The property is next to the McGarvey-Goelz Preserve, which NFLT has owned since 2004. It is currently advertised for sale for residential or multifamily development, but NFLT would like to purchase the land for preservation.
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“We introduced ourselves to the realtor’s representative and were able to negotiate a purchase price of $400,000 for the property,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “We have until Dec. 1 to raise the money to purchase this piece of land, which would give us access to property we already own and allow for public access for picnicking, canoeing and kayaking.”
The land, at 1105 A1A North, is a wetland parcel with 0.55 acres of uplands, which contains a mixture of live oak hammock and cabbage palm that is surrounded by the freshwater wetlands of the Guana River. It is among the 112,346 acres in NFLT’s seven-county focus area that the group deemed in critical need of preservation. It is quality marsh habitat that is rich with wildlife including roseate spoonbills, tricolored herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, white ibis, clapper rails, and others.
The Guana River is the northernmost waterway feeding into the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve). It is one of 28 coastal sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems in the U.S.
NFLT said this stretch of freshwater marsh and upland maritime hammock that is for sale is vital to the adaptability of this estuarine system under sea level rise. NFLT believes ownership and management of this land is critical to ensure the future health of the GTM Research Reserve.
Those interested in donating to help with the acquisition of the property should send their donation to NFLT, 2038 Gilmore St., Jacksonville, FL 32204 or donate online at www.northfloridalandtrust.org.
For more information, contact Jim McCarthy at jmccarthy@northfloridalandtrust.org or call 904-479-1967.