Byline: For Clay Today

CLAY COUNTY – North Florida Land Trust has received a $510,000 grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund and The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida for two important initiatives: the creation and rollout of its new membership program and the purchase of essential stewardship equipment to help maintain the nonprofit’s 26 preserves and future conservation lands.

“We are beyond grateful to Delores Barr Weaver for her generosity in providing us with much-needed funding that will allow us to more efficiently manage conservation lands and to help us grow our membership and spread the word that it is now or never for conservation in North Florida,” said Allison DeFoor, president of NFLT. “We were delighted for Mrs. Weaver to fund both of the initiatives we proposed, as they position us to continue to serve the present and future needs of the region. The Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund is a true community partner.”

NFLT bought a 400-acre plot at State Roads 21 and 16 intersections. The land is adjacent to the Clay County Regional Park, and visitors will be allowed to access the land for hikes.

Two other major commitments to preserving land and resources in Clay County were 2,551 acres near Camp Blanding in 2018 and 415 acres at Little Rain Lake Preserve in Keystone Heights in 2017.

NFLT will use $380,000 of the grant money to purchase a track loader with a unit head and a new fire truck which are critical pieces of equipment needed to support the nonprofit land conservation organization’s land stewardship and management program. Owning its equipment means NFLT has more flexibility to recreate lost habitats for endangered species and return the land to its original and natural state. It also means NFLT is not beholden to a third party to provide equipment or services to implement land management plans on the more than 16,000 acres in its portfolio. The addition of these critical pieces of equipment allows NFLT to do more maintenance in-house, thereby reducing costs and maintenance expenses.

The remainder of the grant will be used for NFLT’s new membership program created to help establish a strong base of supporters and build long-term community support for the nonprofit. The $130,000 will fund communications, promotion, outreach, website additions, membership data management, special events and more. Members can join at five levels designed to allow them to share thoughts on NFLT’s conservation efforts and to contribute to program successes and NFLT’s future plans. The community can join NFLT in preserving land now that can be enjoyed forever. The unrestricted donations generated will also help NFLT act quickly when preservation opportunities arise.

“The work of the North Florida Land Trust encompasses many aspects of land preservation, stewardship, and activation. Recognizing this, I am pleased to play a part in helping people see the value of membership in such a vital organization and also help the NFLT staff to increase its hands-on stewardship of the land they have preserved,” said Delores Barr Weaver. “It is my hope these gifts help the Land Trust continue to meet the goals of its expansive mission.”

The NFLT membership program includes levels that range from the $45 Friend Level to the $1,000 Champion Level. Each level includes benefits such as member-only publications, merchandise and merchandise discounts. To learn more, visit nflt.org/membership/ or contact NFLT at info@nflt.org or (904) 479-1967.