Little Tiger Island Nassau County Commission letter

NASSAU COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 96135 Nassau Place, Suite 1 Yulee, Florida 32097 John Martin A.M. "Hupp" Huppmann Jeff Gray Alyson McCullough Klyn! Farmer Dist. No. 1 Fernandina Beach Dist. No. 2 Amelia Island Dist. No. 3 Yulee Dist. No. 4 Bryceville/Hilliard Dist. No. 5 Callahan/West Yulee TACO E. POPE, AICP County Manager JOHN A. CRAWFORD Ex-Officio Clerk DENISE C. MAY County Attorney December 12, 2022 North Florida Land Trust 843 W Monroe St. Jacksonville, FL 32202 The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners strongly supports the acquisition of Little Tiger Island by the North Florida Land Trust, the State of Florida and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as part of critical efforts to conserve important lands in Northeast Florida. The acquisition of this habitat of salt marsh and maritime forest is an outstanding success in the hard work being done to protect vulnerable habitats. Little Tiger Island is the final piece of the puzzle to the connection of a network of national and state preserves and parks that stretch from St. Andrews Sound in Georgia to the St. Johns River in Florida - greatly magnifying its impact. By protecting Little Tiger Island, we are safeguarding habitats for state and federally listed and candidate species including the gopher tortoise, West Indian manatee, wood stork, Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose sturgeon, piping plover and red knot. As we look to be a more resilient community, it is important to recognize that the preservation of Little Tiger Island will help protect Nassau County against flooding, erosion and storm surge. As these threats are continuously changing, this is an investment in the protection of our coastal community. Nassau County is committed to the preservation of environmentally significant lands, and our citizens and community would greatly benefit from this acquisition. Sincerely, Jeff Gray Chairman (904) 530-6010 or (866)-474-1446 An Affirmative Action I Equal Opportunity Employer ATTACHMENT 11 PAGE 39