Greenways & Trails Project Receives Funding Award 

“The Office of Greenways and Trails is excited to be a part of this award, and we look forward to working with the City of Jacksonville on enhancements to the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail,” said DEP Office of Greenways and Trails Director Jena Brooks. “Protecting greenways and trails provides recreational and economic opportunities for communities, and preserves diverse natural habitats.”

The grant, presented during the Public Land Acquisition and Management Partnership Conference on the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail, will support the City of Jacksonville’s planned enhancements for the 14.5-mile trail. The City of Jacksonville’s Department of Parks, Recreation, Entertainment and Conservation will be constructing restroom facilities at the Imeson Trailhead.

In addition to the grant, ULTRA Trails will work with DEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails and the City of Jacksonville to develop a trail guide. Anheuser-Busch also donated a Trek bicycle for a raffle facilitated by Champion Cycling in Jacksonville. Money from the raffle will provide additional funding for improvements to the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail.

The Office of Greenways and Trails manages eight state trails, including the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, Florida’s longest green corridor stretching 110 miles from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico. DEP also maintains five rail-trails, which are railroad tracks restored and converted to recreational trails for hiking, biking and skating. Through Florida Forever, the state’s premier land acquisition program, $4.5 million dollars is spent annually to purchase land for future trail areas and build and maintain Florida’s greenways and trails.

For more information on Florida’s Greenways and Trails, visit www.FloridaGreenwaysandTrails.org.