Jekyll Island Draft Plan Released

Jekyll Island is one of Georgia’s most beautiful places.

And the Georgia Conservancy has been part of a team working diligently to make sure it stays that way.

The Conservancy, along with a group of state agencies and other environmental organizations, recently developed a conservation plan for Jekyll Island that will help guide development decisions for the next 50 years.

The conservation planning committee created a framework designed to help preserve the island’s natural resources while also providing high-quality, nature-based recreational opportunities.

A draft plan was completed in March that will be reviewed by the Jekyll Island Authority board, which manages the island for the state.

The committee identified four primary areas of focus:

• Preservation of biological communities and species diversity.
• Restoration, maintenance and management of the island’s ecological processes.
• Nature-based tourism and recreation.
• Environmental education.

Download a copy of the draft plan>>

Developed in the late 19th century as a winter retreat for some of America’s richest families, Jekyll Island is now a state park that belongs to all Georgians.

But Jekyll holds a unique place in the state’s park system. It is not financially supported by the state Department of Natural Resources but rather must generate its own revenues to pay for its upkeep.

The conservation planning process comes at a critical time for Jekyll Island.

In recent years, the island’s income-generating resort became run-down, leading to a drop in attendance. To boost revenues, the Jekyll Island Authority is redeveloping the resort.

The conservation plan breaks the island into six distinct communities: beach, dry hammock, coastal marsh, upland forest, golf course and urban/park.

For each area, a strategy has been developed to conserve rare plant and animal species as well as maintain and enhance habitats.

For example, the committee recommends establishing a “working group” to develop a comprehensive beach management plan. To protect salt marshes, the committee also recommends retrofitting or even removing freshwater discharge points.

The plan also calls for new development projects to be evaluated for their environmental impact, with a panel providing a recommendation to the Jekyll Island Authority similar to the planning committee of a city or county.

The committee recommended the Jekyll Island Authority hire a Natural Resources Director to implement the plan.

“The conservation plan provides a great framework that will help protect and preserve Jekyll Island,” said Beth Blalock, Georgia Conservancy’s coastal land conservation program manager. Blalock served on the conservation planning committee.

“It provides a good vision for the next 50 years.”