Our county desperately needs to protect the blueway along the Tolomato. The preserve would do this plus buffer the marshes, which include 770 acres of state-owned submerged lands and several upland islands of great richness, now at risk from pollution and uncontrolled access. The preserve would be a passive park, with nature trails and observation towers. It will represent an exciting educational, recreational and scenic resource for the residents of the county. The developer also plans to provide 7.6 square miles of ecological greenways.
Greenways are corridors of natural vegetation, wetland and forest that allow wildlife to roam.
They would protect one of the most extensive wetland systems in St. Johns County. The greenway system would connect the Durbin Deep, Sweetwater and Smith creeks waterways, wetlands and headwaters. The greenways would be buffered with graduated natural vegetations as recommended by the Arbor Day Foundation. There will be wildlife crossings with large culverts under roads, speed limits, signs, fencing and plantings. Aside from the area near the Tolomato covered by the proposed nature preserve and the greenways, most of Nocatee has been logged regularly for many decades.