Nassau County - Conservation Land and Acquisition Management Committee

Nassau County - Conservation Land and Acquisition Management Committee 5:00 PM, December 18, 2025 James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place Yulee, FL 32097 OFFICIAL MINUTES Call to Order at 5:05 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance Roll Call PRESENT: Committee Member Bill Korn, Committee Member Leonard Wood, Committee Member Kathy Russell, Committee Member Peter Simmons, and Committee Member Norman "Keith" Wingate ABSENT: None. ALSO PRESENT: Elizabeth Moore, Assistant County Attorney, and Jami Nighbert, Deputy Clerk New Business General Public Comment: Forrest Tilly came forward to provide a comment regarding the conservation of Piney Island. A. Approval of Minutes from the July 17, 2025, Conservation Lands Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Committee Meeting - 05:15:05 p.m. Motion: Approve minutes from July 17, 2025. Maker: Committee Member Simmons Second: Committee Member Russell Action: Approve Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Wood, Committee Member Russell, Committee Member Simmons, and Committee Member Wingate. B. Approval of Minutes from the August 21, 2025, Conservation Lands Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Committee Meeting - 05:16:25 p.m. Motion: Continue minutes from August 21, 2025. Maker: Committee Member Korn Second: Committee Member Simmons 1/4251218 RS

Action: Continue Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Wood, Committee Member Russell, Committee Member Simmons, and Committee Member Wingate. C. Approval of Minutes from the October 30, 2025, Conservation Lands Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Committee Meeting - 05:17:10 p.m. Motion: Approve minutes from October 30, 2025. Maker: Committee Member Simmons Second: Committee Member Russell Action: Approve Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Wood, Committee Member Russell, Committee Member Simmons, and Committee Member Wingate. D. Approval of the 2026 Conservation Lands Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Committee Meeting Schedule - 05:18:03 p.m. Motion: Approve the 2026 Conservation Lands Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Committee meeting schedule. Maker: Committee Member Wood Second: Committee Member Wingate Action: Approve Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Wood, Committee Member Russell, Committee Member Simmons, and Committee Member Wingate. E. CLAM Current Project Updates - 05:19:00 p.m. Discussion: Joshua Macbeth, Strategic Advancement, provided an update on the current projects noting that two major projects Piney Island and St. Mary's Farm Conservation Easement have been closed on. F. CLAM Committee Ranking Session (December 2025) - 05:25:38 p.m. Staff Presentation: Mr. Macbeth provided a PowerPoint presentation explaining the CLAM ranking system and how it is applied to the projects. Public Comment: Margaret Kirkland, Conserve Nassau, came forward to provide a comment regarding the list of properties to be ranked. Discussion: Mr. Macbeth used the interactive mapping tool to go over the list of properties available to be ranked by the Committee. Public Comment: Teresa Higher came forward to provide a comment regarding the conservation of their land on Slighter Court. Discussion: Mr. Macbeth reiterated the purpose of the ranking session, advising that a property recommended for priority ranking authorizes staff to enter negotiations with the owner for acquisition or a conservation easement. He then 2/4251218 RS

addressed the properties on Freedom Drive in Callahan, noting that it is in the eligible group and some audience members received a letter from CLAM regarding their property. He clarified that the letter’s purpose is to initiate a conversation with property owners about land conservation; if owners are interested, discussions proceed, and if not, their property is removed from consideration. Mr. Macbeth then discussed the additional properties to be ranked by the CLAM Committee. Note: Committee Member wood stepped out briefly and returned at 6:31 p.m. Discussion: Mr. Macbeth advised the committee that, when reviewing properties to be ranked, all engagements with staff should be stated aloud for the record to ensure transparency. He noted that Committee Member Wood abstained from the following properties: Orange Bluff, Lofton Creek, St. Mary's Road, Middle Road, White Oak, and Northeast Florida Timberlands. Mr. Macbeth advised the Committee they're going to be tabulating live for transparency. Krystal Watson, North Florida Land Trust, CLAM consulting team, came forward to assist Mr. Macbeth with the tabulation. Ms. Moore advised the Committee of the next steps once they're finished tabulating the scores, noting that once they're done the Committee will have to make three motions due to several abstentions. Mr. Macbeth went over the ranking tabulation for the CLAM projects. He advised the results are as follows: 1) Dudley Island 2) Piney Island 3) Lofton Creek Viewshed 4) St. Mary's River Ranch 5) Amelia River Marsh 6) New West St. Marys 7) Orange Bluff 8) Ralph E Simmons 9) Middle Road Viewshed 10) White Oak 11) Baldwin Bay 12) Carrie State Forest Expansion 13) Northeast Florida Timberlands 14) Greenway Trail Extension 15) Lessie Road Viewshed 16) Plummers Creek 17) Amelia State Park Extension 18) Wild Creek 19) Amelia Island Parkway 20) Amelia South 21) Amelia City of Fernandina Beach Central Business District 22) 14th Street Viewshed 23)Thomas Creek 24) Amelia South Gerbing 25) and then an open slot was recommended in the eligible category at the end. It was the consensus of the Board to use the previous rankings to resolve the tie between the properties. Mr. Macbeth went over the new ranking of the properties based on the consensus to resolve the tie, stating them as follows 5) Amelia River Marsh 6) West St. Marys 9) White Oak 13) Green way 14) Timberlands 16) Amelia State Park Expansion 17) Plummers Creek 22) Thomas Creek 23) 14th Street Viewshed. Motion: Approve ranking as presented 1) Dudley Island 2) Piney Island 5) Amelia River Marsh 6) New West St. Marys 8) Ralph E. Simmons 11) Baldwin Bay 12) Carrie State Forest 13) Greenway Extension 15) Lessie Road 16) Amelia State Park 17) Plummers Creek 18) Wild Creek 19) Amelia Island Parkway 20) Amelia South 21) Amelia City of Fernandina Beach Central Business District 22) Thomas Creek 23) 14th Street 24) Amelia South Gerbing and an open slot at 25. Maker: Committee Member Wingate 3/4251218 RS

Second: Committee Member Wood Action: Approve Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Wood, Committee Member Russell, Committee Member Simmons, and Committee Member Wingate. Motion: Approve Lofton Creek Viewshed ranking as number three. Maker: Committee Member Wingate Second: Committee Member Russell Action: Approve Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Russell, and Committee Member Wingate. Motion: Approve to approve ranking as presented 4) St. Marys River Ranch 7) Orange Bluff 9) White Oak 10) Middle Road Viewshed 14) Northeast Florida Timberlands Maker: Committee Member Wingate Second: Committee Member Simmons Action: Approve Aye: Committee Member Korn, Committee Member Russell, Committee Member Simmons, and Committee Member Wingate. G. CLAM General Staff Updates - 07:51:01 p.m. Note: Mr. Macbeth stated they have no further updates at this time. Adjournment at 7:44 p.m. _____________________________________ Chairman 1/7/26, 10:20 AM 4/4251218 RS