Jacksonville, FL — One of the last remaining undeveloped waterfront properties in the City of St. Augustine will be protected for future generations.
That's as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved the $6.5 million acquisition of Fish Island, within the Northeast Florida Blueway Florida Forever Project.
This means the state will own the land, while the City of St. Augustine will be in charge of managing it.
Fish Island is a 57-acre property on the Intracoastal Waterway, next to the 312 bridge onto Anastasia Island.
According to the North Florida Land Trust, Fish Island was the first orange grove in Florida and gave birth to the citrus industry. The land was later listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
But in addition to its historical significance, Fish Island is also important ecologically.
"Fish Island, with its location in St. Augustine, is an important natural resource, containing the last significant unpreserved maritime hammock forest in St. Augustine, and its development would significantly harm the water quality of the Matanzas River, one of the few urbanized coastal lagoons clean enough to support shellfish harvesting," says North Florida Land Trust President Jim McCarthy.
Under the City of St. Augustine's management, Fish Island will be a passive recreational park. This will include limited improvements, including trails, parking for vehicles and bicycles, and fencing as needed.
