Programs
Jekyll Island Approves Conservation Plan
The Georgia Conservancy has done its part in making sure that the beauty of Jekyll Island will be preserved for future generations of Georgians.
Since 2009, the Conservancy has been a part of a group of environmental organizations and state agencies that developed a plan to guide the conservation of Jekyll Island for the next 50 years. The Conservancy's general counsel, Beth Blalock represented our organization on the committee. The draft conservation plan was completed in March and submitted to the Jekyll Island Authority board for review.
Now, the final conservation plan has been released. The key points of the plan are best summarized in its mission statement:
Preserve, maintain, manage and restore Jekyll Island’s natural communities and species diversity while providing nature-based educational and recreational opportunities for the general public.
To ensure that Jekyll Island’s critical habitats are protected, the Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative (of which Blalock was the manager) mapped out the island and detailed its various plant and animal species as well as habitat areas. The island was then divided into six different zones, each with its own management plan, and each plan contains objectives specific to the habitats contained within it.
The conservation plan also focuses on environmental education for the public. Jekyll Island already provides education opportunities through its 4-H center as well as the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, but several new educational opportunities exist.
While current staff on the island will help implement the conservation plan, the Jekyll Island Authority plans on hiring a conservation director to oversee all facets of the plan.
