As many of you know, I enjoy the outdoors. I always have. Whether it is out on the water, or taking advantage of the peace and quiet of the North Florida wilderness, I find the time. As Northeast Florida residents, we have so many options when it comes to mother nature. That is part of what makes living here such a sought after proposition. Our industry needs to continue to sell what makes our area so special.
I find my way to a body of water, a forest or a park regularly. Many of us share this passion I have for the outdoors. This is what makes our boating, fishing and hunting industries such a big business. We have gun outlets, bait and tackle shops, boat yards and marine accessory stores in all corners of the city. Our fishing industries, both commercial and recreational, bring in millions of dollars every year. Even the nonprofits benefit a great deal from the numerous fishing tournaments put on by so many.
The fruits of our natural environment provide economic benefits, as well as an increased quality of life that cannot be measured. I thought it might be a good idea to highlight some of the assets afforded to us. We should think of these properties as amenities that add to the allure of living on Florida’s First Coast that other communities cannot offer.
Fort George Island Cultural State Park: A few miles north of the Mayport Ferry crossing, this property has fishing, kayaking, biking, camping, hiking, a boat ramp, and historic tours.
Jennings State Forest: Located just southwest of Jacksonville in Clay County, Jennings has hiking trails, horseback riding trails, and a creek for canoeing. Hunting and fishing are allowed in certain wildlife management areas.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve): Formerly Guana River State Park, GTM now acts as a closely monitored habitat consisting of indigenous plants and animals. From Ponte Vedra to Crescent Beach, there are aquatic preserves, conservation areas, wildlife management zones and a national monument (Fort Matanzas) located throughout the property. A place where you can catch some rays at the beach in the morning, then catch some fish on the river in the afternoon.
Ginnie Springs & Ichetucknee River: Located just west of Gainesville (75 minutes from Jacksonville), both of these destinations offer tubing in ice-cold crystal clear waters. In fact, the headspring was named a National Natural Landmark in 1972. Tubing is the most popular summer activity but you can also camp, hike, snorkel, scuba, and canoe/kayak, in the park as well.
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park: Operated by the City of Jacksonville and within our city limits, this beachside park offers the area’s best surfing break, a fresh water lake, a children’s water park, camping, boat rentals and seclusion among its 450 acres.
Obviously, there are hundreds of more places I could have listed. These seem to capture the exceptionality of our area and just happen to be some of my favorites. Thinking about them has me wondering when I can visit again.
We know it is easier to create jobs than it is to create wilderness. We have more control over making our economy better than we do making a lake. Only the course of a geological time period can move oceans and water bodies to other places. For the next thousand years, Indianapolis, Ind. will be landlocked. Charlotte, N.C. will not have a river like the St. Johns flowing through it. These things are constant. The socioeconomic challenges that we are facing as a nation are not.
The point I am making is that our natural assets are here to stay. We’ve got the assets other places could only dream of. Other housing markets cannot steal them away from us. Therefore, when the national economy and housing market return to a comfortable place, we should be prepared to welcome more people to our city. Because the amenities are so precious, we should be proactive about protecting our lands as well as make people aware of our assets. We are what you would call “geographically advantaged.” Let’s make the most of it.
— Jim Bailey is president of Bailey Publishing & Communications and publisher of Realty/Builder Connection.