We need YOUR VOICE to help us urge the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners to increase funding for the Land Acquisition and Management Program (LAMP). LAMP is a program wherein property owners can opt to sell their land to the County for conservation purposes including to promote ecological communities, green space, water resources, outdoor passive recreation, as well as historic, educational, and scientific activities. 

Since LAMP was reinstated, there has been a lot of discussion about the level of funding this program should receive. LAMP received an initial annual appropriation of just $500,000, and a one-time funding increase to $2 million last year. With a booming local real estate market, the need for additional funding is clear. Currently, priority projects on the LAMP list total over $35 million, but there is only $3.5 million in the LAMP budget. While LAMP funding can be used to leverage state and federal funds, more money is needed to allow the County to purchase these conservation lands before they are developed. 

Help us save more land by sending an email to our County Commissioners asking them to increase LAMP funding to $5 million annually. 

Email Tips:

• Clearly state how you are urging them to vote (Example: "Increase LAMP funding to $5 million because...")
• Keep it short. There is no need to write a whole essay. A few sentences will do. 
• Make it personal. Elected officials tend to ignore emails that are copied and pasted from 100s of people. Add a personal touch like a story about your favorite local park. 

Priority Properties 

There are currently 6 priority properties on the LAMP list. The highest ranked property is a 195-acre parcel of land known as the Matanzas Estuary Buffer project (previously known as "Shores Blvd.") The Matanzas Estuary Buffer project contains a mile of undeveloped waterfront property on the Matanzas River and is immediately north of Moses Creek Conservation Area. Conserving land is one of the best ways to protect water quality and this parcel would represent a huge win for local conservation efforts.  

Background

Through the early 2000s, St. Johns County maintained the LAMP which focused on acquiring and preserving environmentally sensitive land. Community landmarks such as Alpine Groves River Park, Vilano Beach Oceanfront Park, and the Southeast Intracoastal Waterway Park were acquired and preserved through LAMP. Unfortunately, LAMP was put on hold in 2008 due to funding limitations and never reinitiated once state conservation funding was available again. In June of 2021, Matanzas Riverkeeper, along with partners in the conservation community, worked diligently to get the LAMP program restarted. 

If you have a property that you are interested in selling to the County for conservation through LAMP, visit the LAMP page on the St. Johns County's website and fill out a Land Acquisition Application.