By Kate Kimmel
The Piney Island purchase, which protects viewshed and marshlands on the west side of the Shave Bridge as motorists enter and leave Amelia Island, was ranked as the county’s top conservation priority. The land was purchased for $2.5 million at closing using funds from the CLAM program, supplemented by state grants.
“As we come and go from the island for decades, we’ll see trees instead of rooftops,” County Manager Taco Pope said.
Director of Strategic Advancement Brandy Carvalho said the initial acquisition is one of several parcels under consideration as part of the Piney Island project. She said the project will remain on the CLAM priorities list as the county evaluates opportunities to expand the conserved footprint.
Now that the land has been acquired, it will be opened for public recreation, including boardwalks, fishing piers, kayak launches, and biking and walking trails, according to an October presentation to the CLAM committee by Joshua Macbeth of the Nassau County Planning Department. The site’s primary conservation goals include improving water quality, mitigating flooding and storm surge, and protecting rare and declining habitats.
The St. Marys River conservation easement will prohibit development or commercial expansion on 599.9 acres at the privately owned St. Mary’s Farm, including 2.4 miles of river frontage. The county paid St. Mary’s Farm LLC $2.1 million to enter into the agreement.
Under the easement, the property owner will retain long-term financial responsibility for maintaining and managing the land, while the county is responsible for ensuring compliance with the easement’s terms and conditions. Pursuing a conservation easement rather than a full land acquisition allows the county to preserve riverfront property without assuming ongoing land management costs, according to the Strategic Advancement Department.
“The project represents a cost-effective investment in protecting critical habitat, maintaining working lands, and advancing the county’s long-range conservation goals while minimizing the burden on the public,” the department stated.
The easement grants county officials the right to periodically enter the property to inspect and monitor compliance with conservation goals, including preserving water quality, protecting rare and declining habitats, and supporting sustainable forestry.
With the completion of the two projects, the CLAM committee will be able to identify new priority projects. The committee’s amended list of top conservation recommendations, which currently includes 15 projects, is expected to be presented to commissioners by the end of the month, Carvalho said.
