
The nonprofit now has until January 31 to raise the money needed to purchase 12 acres to expand the public park
North Florida Land Trust has been granted an extension from the McGehee family to raise the $150,000 needed to purchase 12 acres of land that would expand Bogey Creek Preserve. The McGehee family offered to sell the land to the nonprofit to ensure the land will be preserved forever and has now extended the October 31 deadline to January 31.
“We are grateful to the McGeehees for allowing us the extra time to raise the money we need to buy the land,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “The family has been very patient over the years as the land has been on various acquisition lists for decades. We appreciate that they want to see this land preserved instead of developed. We are now asking the community to chip in to help conserve this beautiful property and add to the public park.”
NFLT needs to raise about $50,000 more to purchase the property. To donate, visit https://nflt.org/donate/ and click on the Bogey Creek Expansion Initiative. Donors can also send a check with Bogey Creek in the memo line to North Florida Land Trust at 843 W. Monroe St., Jacksonville, FL, 32202 or contact Megan Mangiaracino at mmangiaracino@NFLT.org or (904) 479-1967.
NFLT’s Bogey Creek Preserve is a public park located off Cedar Point Road in North Jacksonville. The additional 12 acres of land that would be added to the park contains forest and streams that will expand the preserve’s trail system. The current park contains trails that wind through a mix of maritime hammock and mixed pine-oak forest and along seep-fed cypress swamps. The preserve neighbors Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. It protects nearly one mile of critical marsh front on Clapboard and Bogey Creeks. Bogey Creek Preserve was acquired in 2017 through community donations and was opened to the public in 2019.
About North Florida Land Trust
North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to protect the natural resources, historic places and working lands (farms and ranches) throughout north Florida. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations.