Hilliard officials celebrate timber’s history with a nod to forestry.
Mayor David Buchanan read a proclamation during the Hilliard Town Council meeting Oct. 20 highlighting the Florida Forest Service’s 80th anniversary this month.
Nassau County Senior Forester Dave Holley and Forester Richard Saltzman were on hand as Buchanan honored the agency’s contribution to timber management.
The FFS serves 37 state forests and lands totaling more than 1.07 million acres, while providing sustainable forest management and providing areas for resource-based outdoor recreation. Agency goals include restoring and managing healthy forests and native ecosystems and ensuring the long-term viability and biological diversity of plant and animal species, according to the proclamation. Other goals include restoring, maintaining and protecting water functions related to water resources.
State forests are a part of the agency’s legacy.
Located in Nassau County, Cary State Forest is Florida’s second designated state forest. Established May 15, 1937, it totals 13,385 acres, with 5,033 acres in Nassau.
Four Creeks State Forest totals 13,147 acres and protects the headwaters of the Nassau River while Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest comprises 3,638 acres. It also protects 7 miles of frontage along the St. Marys River, according to the proclamation.
Pine Log State Forest was Florida’s first state forest. It was established in Bay and Washington counties with a total of 6,960 acres in 1936, according to Annaleasa Winter, Florida Forest Service wildfire mitigation specialist.
Also receiving accolades was Hilliard Elementary School fourth-grader Allison Jackson for her first place essay in the “If I Were Mayor of Hilliard for a Day” essay contest.
The annual essay contest is part of the town’s City Government Week observance.
Brock Owen Boatright earned second place while Raquel Richard placed third.
Buchanan read each essay aloud with the winning students, teachers, parents and HES Principal Lee Ann Jackson in attendance.
Buchanan said he was not aware when the winners were selected that Allison Jackson was the principal’s granddaughter. More than 50 students entered the contest.
He congratulated the budding writers, saying, “We really appreciate these kids and the thought they put into these.”
Before the meeting’s close, Station 4 Volunteer Captain Ben Smith thanked Buchanan, the Hilliard Town Council and absent Public Works Director David Thompson for their efforts during Hurricane Matthew. The fire station did not lose power despite the storm.
“Thank you for having him,” Smith said of Thompson. “He’s a super asset to the town.”
“We did survive the storm with relatively little damage,” Buchanan said.
The council members also expressed appreciation for the volunteers and those who assisted citizens.
The council also discussed briefly Emergency Ordinance No. 2016-05 that was on the agenda concerning a moratorium on the digging and excavation of ponds even though Councilman Cris McConnell had withdrawn the item earlier.
He pulled the item because he said he needed additional information before proceeding.
However, Councilwoman Patricia Webb expressed concern about the item’s withdrawal altogether. She said the digging of ponds in residential neighborhoods could be a safety hazard for children.
Land Use Administrator Glenn Higginbotham said the item was previously discussed more than a year ago. He added that ponds should not be allowed in residential areas where the size exceeds 35 percent in most places of the land’s coverage. He added that if the council would like to discuss the item again he is willing to do so. When the item was discussed in 2015, the council had decided that the current ordinance was sufficient.