What was approved on October 22, 2024?
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners approved an ordinance adopting a brand new program for Clay County – the Forests and Farms Conservation Lands Program (FFCLP). By adopting this ordinance, the Board has created a new section of the Code of Ordinance which will provide a framework for the program to operate. Once the ordinance has been signed and recorded, the final copy will be provided here. Until then you can download a draft version of the ordinance using the link below:
What is the purpose of the Forests and Farms Conservation Lands Program (FFCLP)?
The program seeks to protect irreplaceable natural environments and resources in Clay County by acquiring and managing lands and conservation easements through responsible stewardship.
How will it work?
The program has three phases: the nomination and selection of properties to be included in the program, the acquisition of properties, and the stewardship of those properties over time. Properties submitted to the program will be evaluated by a Land Conservation Committee (LCC) which will be made up of volunteers with technical knowledge and experience in the natural sciences. Properties will be ranked based on a scoring system matrix to ensure that they support the stated conservation goals of the program. The Board of County Commissioners will make a final determination regarding which properties to authorize staff to begin purchase negotiations with. Purchases can either take the form of fee-simple ownership by the County or the purchase of a conservation easement over the property. Any nominated property must have a willing seller. No property is ever condemned or “taken” through the program. After a property or a conservation easement is acquired, the county will then create a long-term management plan for that property called a stewardship plan, thereby ensuring that the property continues to fulfill the purpose of the program.
What benefits will come from the program?
These are just some of the things that a land conservation program can provide:
- Preserves land for threatened and endangered species, allowing them room to find safe habitat and to move from one range to another.
- Protection of drinking water supply by preserving land in identified recharge areas.
- Preservation of working farms and forests ensures that this vital part of the County’s economy and history is able to continue.
What has happened so far?
The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) held several public workshops during the spring of 2023 to gather input regarding conservation priorities. The first workshop was held with the Board of County Commissioners on January 24, 2023. A recording of that workshop can be VIEWED HERE. The handout for the workshop can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:
Additional workshops for county residents were held in Keystone Heights, Middleburg and Green Cove Springs during the month of April 2023 and an online survey was provided in May/June 2023. Input gathered from County residents and the Board were incorporated in the NFLT’s final report to the Board of County Commissioners on October 10, 2023. The video of that portion of the meeting can be viewed by CLICKING ON THIS LINK. The report was titled “Clay County Land Conservation Program Blueprint for Success”. That document can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
What will be happening next?
We anticipate that the following activities will take place over the course of the coming year:
- Jan/Feb 2025 - Open nomination period for the Land Conservation Committee (LCC)
- Mar/Apr 2025 – Appointment of the LCC members
- Summer 2025 – LCC to finalize the property scoring matrix
- Oct/Nov/Dec 2025 – First open nomination period for property to the FFCLP
