FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 16, 2003
CONTACT: Kathalyn Gaither, (850) 245-2112
Governor, Cabinet Expand Northeast Florida Blueway
--Preserved area protects waters of the
First Coast, wildlife--
ST. JOHNS COUNTY– Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida
Cabinet today approved the addition of 11 acres to the
Northeast Florida Blueway. Stretching from Jacksonville to
St. Johns County, the blueway spans more than 35,000 acres of
open water, tidal lands and marsh.
“This addition to the blueway compliments the State's
wider conservation goals for Northeast Florida,” said
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David B.
Struhs. “The blueway protects water quality along the
Atlantic Coast, which is vital to the region's water-based
economy.”
When complete, the blueway will connect natural areas to
form a continuous land corridor along the First Coast. The
chain of undisturbed marshland supports an important
recreational and commercial fishery and is also home to rare
birds, including the great egret, little blue heron and marsh
wren. Nearly 8,700 acres of the Florida Forever
conservation project are now in public ownership.
Purchased for just 89 percent of its appraised value,
today’s acquisition within St. Johns County is one of the few
remaining undeveloped waterfront parcels along the
Intracoastal Waterway. In a rapidly developing area, purchase
of the property strengthens the ecological connection between
the Matanzas State Forest and Moses Creek. The Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Forestry will
manage the property.
The 10-year, $3 billion Florida Forever program
established by Governor Jeb Bush conserves environmentally
sensitive land, restores water resources and preserves
important cultural and historical resources.
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