Florida Forever purchase saves Nassau County's Little Tiger Island for conservation
Nearly a square mile of marsh and uplands facing Fernandina Beach’s historic waterfront is being preserved for conservation following a decision last week by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Cabinet.
The panel approved buying the 565-acre area around Little Tiger Island property as part of the Florida Forever initiative, filling a hole in a chain of preserved land stretching between northeastern Jacksonville and the Georgia state line.
“Little Tiger Island is the final piece of the puzzle to the connection of a network of national and state preserves,” Nassau County Commission Chairman Jeff Gray wrote in an endorsement of the purchase sent to the North Florida Land Trust.
Nature preservation:Black Hammock Island deal preserved one of the best views in Jacksonville. Here's where to find it.
From 2021:Spending to help protect Florida wildlife routes, some on First Coast, gets DeSantis' OK
The trust aimed to protect almost 1,000 acres around the island and worked with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to land a $1 million federal grant for part of that property in 2021. But $965,000 in Florida Forever money was still needed to finish the deal.
“We have been working to protect this property for years and are thrilled it will now be natural forever,” Land Trust President Allison DeFoor said Thursday. “Little Tiger Island is an important ecosystem for many plant and animal species and provides environmental benefits to the area.”
The property, sited across the Amelia River from the waterfront, has been prized by birders for its nesting areas for shorebirds and wading birds.
A survey for the Florida Natural Areas Inventory recently reported the area had one of the highest concentrations on Florida’s east coast of nesting MacGillivray's seaside sparrows and Worthington's marsh wrens.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida Forever deal preserves Nassau County island rich in bird nests
