The National Park Service recently completed an acquisition to add more than 100 acres to Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Florida.
The park partnered with Trust for Public Land to purchase the tract on Black Hammock Island, which together with another 241 acres recently conveyed to Florida as part of the Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park just north of and adjacent to the Park Service parcels, will ensure that this area will remain in conservation with public access guaranteed. The City of Jacksonville also provided funding support for this important acquisition.
Timucuan Superintendent Chris Hughes stressed the importance of acquiring these parcels saying, “These areas will now be protected for future generations. The City of Jacksonville, North Florida Land Trust, Trust for Public Land and Florida State Park partners that along with the National Park Service comprise the 7 Creeks Recreation Area will certainly benefit from these additional acres. Adding these parcels would link the existing parks in the 7 Creeks Recreation Area to provide an uninterrupted habitat for wildlife, vegetation, protection and enjoyment of the natural and cultural resources."
“One of the last unspoiled coastal hammock and marshlands on the Atlantic coast, Black Hammock Island is beloved by locals for hiking, birding canoeing, and fishing but has been at risk for development,” said Doug Hattaway, senior project manager for Trust for Public Land. “Trust for Public Land has been working for years to ensuring this land not only remains untouched and open to everyone who loves to get outside but protects it as a crucial landscape in creating climate resilience against extreme weather events like hurricanes, warmer weather, and rising sea levels.”
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