The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

St. Marys River and Floodplain Forest with white sandy bank © TNC/Wendy Matthews

The property is or will be encumbered by a conservation easement as described below.

Description

The Devil's Elbow property contains approximately 2.4 miles of intact Floodplain Forest frontage on the St. Marys River. The uplands contain some thinned pine plantation and a significant block of Sandhill, planted with off-site pines, that contains intact native groundcover and gopher tortoise. The tract is significant for resident wildlife species such as deer and turkey and also provides imporant habitat for neo-tropical migratory songbirds and migratory waterfowl.

Primary Conservation Objective

1) protect as much ecologically important St. Marys River as possible through acquisition of fee and less-than-fee lands with intact upland and wetland buffers having frontage on the river; 2) provide protection for numerous rare and imperiled species including, gopher tortoise, Sherman's fox squirrel, hartwrightia and purple honeycombhead; 3) promote sound management of the natural resources necessary to maintain the native species composition; 4) demonstrate the importance of prescribed fire for maintenance of healthy upland forest ecosystems.

Biodiversity Highlights

The Devil's Elbow property possesses significant wildlife, fish and plant habitat. Important natural communities include Sandhill, Floodplain Forest, Floodplain Swamp and the St. Marys River. These communities provide habitat for several listed species including gopher tortoise, Sherman's fox squirrel, American alligator and numerous non-listed wading birds, ducks and migratory songbirds. Devil's Elbow is located in an area containing limited residential and commercial development and in its undeveloped state, contributes to the rural character of the area and provides a buffer between the St. Marys River and more developed tracts.

Qualifications and Restrictions

Prohibited Uses: 1) can only subdivide the property into up to three (3) separate parcels - a) the Ten Acre Tract and b) the remaining 746-acre Primary Tract can be subidvided once with no tract being less than 250-acres; 2) no harvesing of hardwoods or cypress and no clear cutting of timber. No planting of sand pine or exotic hardwoods; 3) no agriculatural, commercial or industrial uses; 4) active recreation prohibited on the Primary Tract; 5) can only construct 3 residences in each of the subdivision units; 6) no new roads or trails except to new residences; 7) no ditching, draining, filling, excavating, etc. of the Protected Property; 8) no mining; 9) no dumping; 10) no use of exotic plant species; 11) no commercial water wells; 12) no operation of ATVs except on existing roads, except for certain listed circumstances; 13) no livestock allowed on the Protected Property outside the building envelope.