Press Releases from North Florida Land Trust (44 total)
North Florida Land Trust is applying for renewal of its accreditation from the L …
Jacksonville, Fla., June 22, 2022 - North Florida Land Trust is applying for the renewal of its accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. A public comment period is now open, and the commission is asking anyone who wishes to send in their comments to please do so by Sept. 3, 2022.
NFLT originally applied for accreditation in 2017 and was awarded…
SWIG and North Florida Land Trust are working together to improve water quality …
Sustainable Water Investment Group, or SWIG, and North Florida Land Trust have partnered to combat the nutrient pollution problems that have plagued the State of Florida. The group and nonprofit are working to bring the next generation of water treatment technology to the State. For decades, algal blooms have severely affected the water quality in Florida whose economy and tourism industry depends on clean water.
“The process developed by SWIG…
North Florida Land Trust is Making Changes to meet Growing Preservation Demands
Jacksonville, Fla., April 3, 2020 - North Florida Land Trust has restructured its staff in an effort to keep up with growing preservation demands. The nonprofit renamed its land protection department and repurposed the department's staff to better meet the demands of its clients, projects and activities. The land protection department is now known as the conservation programs department and two staff members have new positions within the organization.
Marc Hudson,…
North Florida Land Trust and Weyerhaeuser are working to preserve 50,000 acres w …
Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 27, 2020 - North Florida Land Trust and Weyerhaeuser are working together on the possible sale of a conservation easement on 50,000 acres of timberland in north Florida. The land stretches from the Raiford Wildlife Management Area to the Osceola National Forest, within the Ocala to Osceola, or O2O, Wildlife Corridor. The 16-mile parcel extends across parts of Baker and Union County and is almost half of…
North Florida Land Trust has helped save thousands of acres of land from develop …
Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 9, 2020 – North Florida Land Trust has assisted in fulfilling the dream of landowners in Putnam County by facilitating the purchase of a conservation easement on Wetland Preserve with funds from the Florida Forever program. The Florida Cabinet approved the funding in September to purchase the conservation easement for $2,873,000 and the deal was officially completed late Wednesday when the Division of State Lands closed on…
North Florida Land Trust has received the Joe Hixon Champion of Conservation Awa …
Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 18, 2019 – North Florida Land Trust has been awarded the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ Joe Hixon Champion of Conservation Award. The award was presented to NFLT President Jim McCarthy at the annual Toast to Conservation event at the Zoo on Saturday, Nov. 16. John Lukas, curator of wildlife conservation, presented the award to McCarthy and said the nonprofit land conservation organization was chosen for the award…
North Florida Land Trust’s O2O Project chosen for Landscape Conservation Catal …
Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 28, 2019 – North Florida Land Trust and it's Ocala to Osceola (O2O) Wildlife Corridor Partnership has been awarded a grant from the Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund. NFLT’s O2O project was one of 14 out of 250 applicants who received the inaugural grant award and the only one in Florida. NFLT will receive $25,000 over the next two years for direct support of the O2O Partnership, which…
North Florida Land Trust Says Little Bird Has Given Hope for a Big Vision in O2O …
Jacksonville, Fla., July 8, 2019 – A red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) captured at Camp Blanding in Clay County is evidence that a project led by North Florida Land Trust to preserve land within the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) wildlife corridor is working. The capture of that species of bird isn’t unexpected; the birds are known to live on the military installation. The unusual thing about this particular bird is where it…
North Florida Land Trust is Urging Florida Cabinet Members to Save Fish Island
Jacksonville, Fla., June 27, 2019 – North Florida Land Trust is asking for the community to show their support for preserving Fish Island by reaching out to Florida Cabinet members. The 57-acre property is located on the Intracoastal waterway immediately adjacent to the 312 bridge onto Anastasia Island. NFLT has been working to preserve the land for months and successfully negotiated an assignable option contract with the owners. On July…
North Florida Land Trust’s Stewardship Director Makes Educational Advancements …
Jacksonville, Fla., May 13, 2019 – North Florida Land Trust’s Stewardship Director Elizabeth Guthrie has earned her master’s degree in ecological restoration and will now be entering a prestigious program for natural resources leadership. Guthrie recently participated in a graduation ceremony at the University of Florida and will now be entering UF’s Natural Resources Leadership Institute.
“We are so proud of Elizabeth for working so hard to get her advanced…
North Florida Land Trust is moving into the historic Brewster Hospital building …
North Florida Land Trust held a grand opening celebration at their new offices in the historic Brewster Hospital building. NFLT staff and board members were joined by elected officials, supporters, community leaders and members of the Brewster Nurses and Community Alumni Association for a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by an open house to show off the renovations throughout the building.
NFLT was interested in leasing the 5,700 square foot building…
North Florida Land Trust Welcomes New Development Director to the Team
Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 19, 2019 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce Megan Mangiaracino has joined the nonprofit land conservation organization as the development director. Mangiaracino will lead the fundraising arm of the nonprofit organization and will be working closely with NFLT President Jim McCarthy to expand the donor base. She will also be responsible for promoting NFLT’s programs throughout Northeast Florida.
“We are very happy to have Megan…
North Florida Land Trust Has Facilitated the Expansion of Fort George Island Cul …
Conservation property identified for land swap enables cleanup of contaminated land in St. Johns River
Jacksonville, Fla., February 18, 2019 – North Florida Land Trust has facilitated expansion of the Fort George Island Cultural State Park by identifying 14 acres on Fort George that could be used for mitigation. NFLT partnered with Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust to help identify the Fort George property for trade with the State of Florida in…
North Florida Land Trust Has Acquired Hundreds of Acres in their Preservation Po …
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 27, 2018 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce they have acquired 687-acres within their Putnam Lakes Preservation Priority Area. The property, known as the Putnam Lakes Preserve, is located southeast of Hawthorne and is bordered on the south by Little Orange Creek. The land is also partially within the Ocala to Osceola, or O2O wildlife corridor, which extends from the Ocala National Forest to…
North Florida Land Trust Has Acquired Thousands of Acres in Critical Wildlife Co …
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 29, 2018 – North Florida Land Trust has acquired another important piece of property within a critical wildlife corridor surrounding Camp Blanding. The land conservation organization took possession of 2,300 acres located near Lawtey that connects Camp Blanding to Jennings State Forest. It is located within the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) wildlife corridor; a critical wildlife corridor that stretches from the Ocala National Forest to the Osceola…
North Florida Land Trust Welcomes Two New Members to its Board of Directors
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 4, 2018 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce two new members have joined the board of directors. Allison DeFoor and Mike Barker were elected at the September meeting of the board. Both men will serve a three-year term.
“We welcome Mr. Barker and Dr. DeFoor to our board and look forward to working together with them as we continue to increase our wins…
North Florida Land Trust Marks Largest Conservation Easement Acquisitions to Dat …
Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 18, 2018 – North Florida Land Trust has acquired two conservation easements in Clay County marking the nonprofit organization’s largest conservation easement acquisitions to date. The two properties totaling approximately 2,551 acres will now be protected from high intensity development and will serve as a buffer for the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. NFLT works closely with Camp Blanding to identify lands that are both prime for…
North Florida Land Trust boasts another successful year in 2017
Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 1, 2018 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce another year full of accomplishments. NFLT grew, not only in the land they have been able to preserve, but also in their team and their presence throughout the state. In 2017, NFLT added more than 1,500 acres of land to their portfolio, including a property in North Jacksonville that will become NFLT’s first public park. NFLT…
North Florida Land Trust’s O2O Project has been Chosen for Federal Funding
Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 2, 2018 – North Florida Land Trust is excited to announce their conservation initiative along the Ocala to Osceola, or O2O, wildlife corridor has been chosen to receive $3,560,000 in funding from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Service. NFLT is leading a team of seven partners who are working together to preserve land along…
North Florida Land Trust has received a donation of land along Black Creek and D …
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 26, 2017—North Florida Land Trust has received a donation of 388 acres of land in Clay County along Black Creek and Doctors Lake. South Doctors Lake, Ltd. gave the property, which has high conservation value, to the land conservation organization. The property is in Fleming Island and Middleburg and is adjacent to the nonprofit’s Black Creek Preservation Priority Area.
“We are grateful to the realtor for reaching out…
North Florida Land Trust acquires property for expansion of McGirts Creek Park i …
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 5, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust has once again helped the City of Jacksonville expand McGirts Creek Park. An anonymous donor gave NFLT the money to acquire nearly 10 acres of land located just north of Saundersville Ct. and west of Ricker Rd. NFLT negotiated with the seller, Arquileta Trust, who agreed to take less than the appraised value of the property as a charitable donation.…
North Florida Land Trust proudly announces the 2017 Volunteer of the Year
Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is honored to recognize two people this year as their 2017 Volunteer of the Year. This year the award goes to Forrest and Nancy Penny. Since becoming volunteers in 2014, the couple has dedicated dozens of hours on numerous NFLT projects and attended many fundraising and community events. In 2015, the couple worked on removing invasive species from Big Talbot…
North Florida Land Trust Honors City Council Member with the Robert and Merial M …
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 30, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust presented the Robert and Merial Milam Conservation Award to Jacksonville City Council Member Tommy Hazouri. NFLT presented the award to Hazouri at the City of Jacksonville’s Environmental Luncheon. They honored him for his support of NFLT’s efforts to preserve the 1898 Spanish American War Fort. Hazouri was instrumental in acquiring funding needed to help save the important historical structure.
“We…
North Florida Land Trust Announces New and Focused Initiative for the O2O Corrid …
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 25, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce Dr. Susan Carr has joined the land conservation organization to lead the new and focused initiative for the Ocala to Osceola, or O2O, wildlife corridor. Carr will be responsible for management, outreach and conservation projects for the environmentally important wildlife passage.
The O2O corridor is a nationally critical wildlife corridor that stretches from the Ocala National…
North Florida Land Trust is asking for donations to purchase land for conservati …
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 16, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is looking for donors to assist in the purchase of 4.3 acres of land along A1A North. The property is located 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.
“We introduced ourselves to the realtor’s representative…
North Florida Land Trust has now acquired Bogey Creek Preserve
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 5, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is now the proud owner of the Bogey Creek Preserve. The land conservation organization closed on the property and will now begin work to make improvements to the land to create a public park. Many generous donors helped NFLT reach the $1.2 million needed to purchase the 63-acre property and reach the $105,000 needed to fund the ancillary costs.
“This…
Anonymous Donors help North Florida Land Trust fund the purchase of Bogey Creek …
Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 31, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce two anonymous donors have stepped forward to help fund the purchase of the Bogey Creek Preserve. After hearing about the $125,000 challenge grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Fund at The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida, one of the donors offered $210,000 to the project. Another anonymous donor has given $405,000 in the name of Robert…
North Florida Land Trust has acquired land along the Ortega River
North Florida Land Trust has acquired just under 80 acres of land along the Ortega River on Jacksonville’s Westside. The land conservation organization was interested in the land for its high ecological value. It is within the 112,346 acres of land NFLT had identified in their Preservation Portfolio, which identifies land in critical need of preservation within NFLT’s seven-county focus area.
“This land is not something that would be desirable for…
North Florida Land Trust received unanimous approval in the first step to lease …
Jacksonville, Fla., July 20, 2017 – The Downtown Investment Authority has unanimously approved the terms and conditions proposed by the North Florida Land Trust to make the historic Brewster Hospital its new headquarters. The land conservation organization is interested in moving to the building in LaVilla, which provides more space and room for growth. The approximately 5,700 square foot building, which is owned by the City of Jacksonville, has been…
North Florida Land Trust welcomes new members to the board of directors
Jacksonville, Fla., July 11, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to welcome new members to its board of directors. Patrick Carney, Ray Bunton and David Barton have joined the board as members at large. Carney is director of capital planning with CSX, Ray Bunton, Jr., served as division director of the St. Johns River Water Management District until retirement in April of 2016 and David Barton is senior…
North Florida Land Trust working to get O2O Corridor designated as a Sentinel La …
Jacksonville, Fla., April 25, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust has partnered with 12 organizations, including federal and state agencies and other non-profits, to work towards a goal of having the Ocala to Osceola, or O2O wildlife corridor, federally designated as a Sentinel Landscape. A Sentinel Landscape is a working or natural land that is important to the nation’s defense mission. The O2O corridor stretches from the Ocala National Forest…
North Florida Land Trust partnered with college students to create O2O Corridor …
Jacksonville, Fla., April 11, 2017 - North Florida Land Trust recently assisted in a video project with students from the North American Nature Photography Association’s College Program (NANPA). The video focuses on the need for conservation of the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) wildlife corridor. The O2O corridor is a nationally critical wildlife corridor that stretches from the Ocala National Forest to the Osceola National Forest and eventually to the Okefenokee…
North Florida Land Trust is looking for volunteers for Team Terrapin
Jacksonville, Fla., April 6, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is currently recruiting volunteers to join Team Terrapin, the organization’s diamondback terrapin monitoring program. The nonprofit organization monitors a nesting population of these unique saltmarsh turtles from April through September and needs volunteers to help search sites on Big Talbot Island for signs of terrapin nesting.
“If you enjoy working in nature and are looking to get involved in wildlife monitoring…
North Florida Land Trust is applying for accreditation from the Land Trust Accre …
Jacksonville, Fla., March 6, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. A public comment period is now open and the commission is asking anyone who wishes to send in their comments to please do so by May 26, 2017.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission conducts an extensive review…
North Florida Land Trust urges legislators to do the right thing and properly fu …
Jacksonville, Fla., March 2, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is urging Florida lawmakers to do the right thing and properly fund land conservation. In 2014, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved The Florida Water and Land Acquisition Amendment to provide increased funding for acquiring and improving Florida’s conservation and recreation lands. However, lawmakers have failed to restore the meaningful funding to programs like Florida Forever and Florida Communities Trust.
NFLT and the…
North Florida Land Trust welcomes new Development Director to their team
Jacksonville, Fla., March 2, 2017 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce Dana Doody has joined their team as a development director. Doody will lead the fundraising arm of the nonprofit organization. She will be working closely with NFLT President Jim McCarthy to expand the donor base and will be responsible for promoting NFLT’s programs throughout Northeast Florida.
Doody has a strong background in business development and is a…
North Florida Land Trust had a historic year by tripling the land conserved in 2 …
North Florida Land Trust is proud to announce they tripled the amount of conservation lands in 2016. From 1999 to 2015, the organization protected just over 6,000 acres of land. In 2016, they added more than 12,000 acres to the amount of land held for conservation purposes. It is the most land NFLT has been able to preserve in one year since they started their mission. NFLT’s historic year was…
North Florida Land Trust has received a gift of land along the Guana River
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 27, 2016 – North Florida Land Trust has added 7.72 acres of land to its portfolio thanks to a generous donation from Gary and Laine Silverfield and Christie Atkerson. The families are long-time partners in the real estate development business. The parcel they donated is known as The Grove and is located on the Southwest corner of Mickler’s Landing and A1A along the Guana River.
“This is…
North Florida Land Trust Executive Director appointed to the Environmental Regul …
Jim McCarthy, Executive Director of North Florida Trust, has been appointed by Governor Rick Scott to serve on the Environmental Regulation Commission. Scott announced McCarthy’s appointment in a press release on Friday, Dec. 16. The Environmental Regulation Commission is a seven-member board responsible for setting standards and rules that protect Floridians and the environment.
“I am honored that the Governor chose me to serve in this position and I look forward…
North Florida Land Trust acquires another piece of property on Big Talbot Island
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 5, 2016 – North Florida Land Trust has received a charitable land donation on Big Talbot Island from Charles Chupp. The donation is 6.43 acres of environmentally sensitive and pristine land on the very northern tip of the island and at the edge of Big Talbot Island State Park.
“We are very grateful for Mr. Chupp’s donation, which keeps Diane Joy Milam Dennis’ dream of protecting all…
North Florida Land Trust has purchased the first piece of property targeted in t …
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 1, 2016 – North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce they have purchased the first piece of property identified in their Preservation Portfolio. The land was among the 112,346 acres in their seven-county focus area that they deemed in critical need of preservation. The property was owned by Fletcher Management Company, a Jacksonville-based real estate developer. Fletcher reached out to NFLT after learning land they owned…
North Florida Land Trust adds Land Protection Specialist to their team
Jacksonville, Fla., September 14, 2016 - North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce Aaron Glick has joined their team as a land protection specialist. Glick will be working closely with the land protection director to initiate, plan and implement conservation projects and land acquisition. He will also be supporting the director in providing outreach to the planning and development community.
Glick comes to NFLT after working nine years for…
Two North Florida Land Trust projects approved for Rural and Family Lands Progra …
More than 6,000 acres of land in a critical wildlife corridor are a big step closer to being permanently preserved for future generations thanks to the work of North Florida Land Trust and two Florida couples. The two properties have been selected for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which protects working farms and forests from development by purchasing conservation easements on these valuable agricultural lands. Earlier this year,…
North Florida Land Trust’s Land Protection Director selected for prestigious p …
Jacksonville, Fla., May 24, 2016 – North Florida Land Trust is proud to announce Marc Hudson, NFLT’s Land Protection Director, has been selected for the Kinship Conservation Fellows Program. Hudson is the only applicant from the United States and one of only 18 people from around the world chosen to participate in this prestigious program in 2016. The fellows come from diverse regions and have varying interests in environmental issues.…
