A Westside Jacksonville park is growing, thanks to a private land donation and the help of a local land conservation group.
The North Florida Land Trust recently facilitated the donation of 33 acres to expand Jacksonville's McGirts Creek Park.
The Trust usually functions as more of a middle man, purchasing or accepting property donations and managing them until a state or federal agency chooses to purchase them, said executive director Jim McCarthy. In this instance, however, the city is in a better position to hold on to the land, he said.
“It helps expand their preserve, and won’t require more management dollars from their standpoint so they don’t end up having any expense,” he said. “The bottom line is: They added some additional lands for conservation purposes next to an existing preserve at no cost.”
The parcel was first brought to the group’s attention by a local environmental consulting group working to remove invasive trees on the property.
Chinese tallow trees thrive in the southeastern U.S., and can be especially damaging in swampy and marshy areas. The trees absorb more water than native trees, and can actually suck a swamp dry, altering the natural flow of water.
“Swamps, marsh grasses, marshlands are nature’s kidneys. That’s what cleans the water before it goes into the river,” McCarthy said. “It’s a naturally performing swamp: it’s a great addition to the city’s system.”
The donated land will expand the park by just over a third of its existing size – from 90 acres to 123 acres.
Although it’s unusual for the Land Trust to cut out a step to help landowners make direct donations, he’s happy to do it.
“It is something that folks ought to know about. Not only do we accept donations of land and easements, but we also acquire land and easements, meaning we purchase them,” he said. “If they’ve got a piece of property that is of value to somebody, we may have an interest ourselves or we may have a partner that does.”
According to McCarthy, the North Florida Land Trust currently controls about 6800 acres of land across Northeast Florida.