by David Ball
Staff Writer
Four thousand thirty four and three-tenths.
That’s how many acres of land has been preserved across Duval County since 1994 for use as public parks, recreation areas or simply native habitat that will never see a plow, backhoe or fill dirt.
Cedar Point, Blue Cypress, Julington Creek Headwaters Park, Jacksonville-Baldwin Rails to Trails buffer lands, Castaway Island Preserve and more than two dozen other tracts were acquired for more than $42 million by Duval County municipalities, but only about half the funds were generated locally.
The rest were contributed by the State through the Florida Forever program. Without the program, the lands might not have been purchased and would likely have been sold for development or other uses.
“I think that’s very key. We would not have been able to accomplish what we were able to without the grants,” said Kelly Boree, deputy director of the City’s Recreation and Community Services Department. “Because of the development of the city, we are always looking for additional park space.”
The Florida Communities Trust (FCT), a program within the Florida Department of Community Affairs, recently announced the availability of $66 million in Florida Forever funding available to local governments and non-profit groups across the state in 2008.
Tuesday, the State will hold a free workshop for government officials and the public to learn about the program and the application process. The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Northeast Florida Regional Council, 6850 Belfort Oaks Place.
“Competition is fierce...and the workshops are a good start,” said Ken Reecy, program manager with FCT. “The last two years we’ve had a record number of applications submitted by local governments.”
Last year, 94 different governments and non-profit environmental groups submitted 118 grant applications seeking $272 million, but the Trust could only award $76 million for 20 projects. More than $678 million has been awarded in the program’s history, which dates back to the early 1990s.
Reecy said the City of Jacksonville’s take of more than $20 million makes it one of the top five governments in Florida in obtaining the grants. But he said he hopes more environmental groups and other non-profits attend the workshop to learn the steps to preserve their own lands.
“We have had several successful non-profit applicants, but the group’s charter has to be that they are primarily for environmental conservation,” said Reecy. “But if they put together an application and give us sufficient time to review it before the deadline, we will assist them in pointing out areas where they maybe forgot to consider something.”
Reecy said there are 52 competitive criteria the Trust’s governing board looks at when awarding grants. Generally, land that includes access to water, protects natural resources and complies with a community’s comprehensive plan will usually score well.
“I expect to see that as Florida continues to grow, people are interested in the quality of life in their communities, having parks and open space,” he said. “And with real estate prices the way they are, the Trust provides that opportunity.”
Boree said the City has used its own money, most recently the $50 million approved in the Better Jacksonville Plan, to fund preservation land purchases and has used the matching FCT funds to invest in land the following year. However, now the City is focused on developing those lands for public access and less on purchasing new lands, although Boree said a few parcels are being eyed for 2008.
“We still have a list we are trying to narrow down,” she said. “We’re working with (the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission) on acquisition reimbursement for some of the Brooklyn properties they are working on in their development plan.”
Boree said residents should think about the State of Florida the next time they are enjoying the scenery and environment at of the area’s preserved recreation lands.
“Castaway Island Preserve, that was an old mobile home park that was getting ready to be done away with,” said Boree. “It was the last remaining tract on the Intracostal between Beach and Atlantic (boulevards). What a great opportunity for residents to have access to water, and that wouldn’t have been possible without FCT grants.”
Duval County lands acquired through Florida Communities Trust grants