11/14/19 @ 3:40 p.m. - This Saturday, November 16, 2019, the Town of Callahan and Keep Nassau Beautiful will host a community clean-up event. They are currently seeking volunteers to assist with cleanup of litter and debris from roadways, parks and schools. Keep Nassau Beautiful will provide supplies for cleanup. Volunteers are encouraged to wear closed-toe shoes and bring water, sunscreen, bug spray, water and gloves. To sign up, please visit Keep Nassau Beautiful's webpage.

Callahan residents can also dispose of residential garbage and residential yard debris during this event for free with proof of residency. No commercial loads will be accepted.

Residents can also pick up a voucher at the event for disposal of up to 8 tires at the Nassau County Convenience and Recycle Center between 9:00-11:45 a.m. Saturday, November 16th ONLY. All tires must be off the rim and free of debris.

Lastly, there will also be a prescription take back being held in conjunction with this event.

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Walter Boatright County Building, 45401 Mickler Street, Callahan, FL 32011

Please click here to review the event flyer.

Questions should be directed to Keep Nassau Beautiful at (904) 261-0165 or via e-mail to knb@keepnassaubeautiful.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Administrative Manager, County Manager’s Office
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Beach Community Working Group Drafts Recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners
 
Nassau County, Florida, November 12, 2019 – On December 19, 2018, the Board of County Commissioners formed a Beach Community Working Group consisting of Mike Mullin, County Manager/County Attorney; Taco Pope, Assistant County Manager; Doug Podiak, Facilities Maintenance Director; Gil Langley, Executive Director of the Tourist Development Council; Butch Osborne, Director of Operations for the Sheriff’s Office; Mac Morriss, Ex-Officio Member; and Lowell Hall, Ex-Officio Member.
 
The group was directed to review current beach related Ordinances and use of the beach and to make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners as to any updates or amendments that need to be made. A total of sixteen (16) meetings have been held to date. Hundreds of individuals have appeared at meetings and hundreds more have sent emails expressing concerns about a myriad of issues including but not limited to, items left on the beach, horseback riding, safety concerns, and littering, however most of the concerns related to beach driving and unregulated camping.
 
Having concluded their work, the Beach Committee Working Group will present their findings to the Board of County Commissioners on November 18, 2019 shortly after 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097.
 
The County Commissioners will not vote on the recommendation at the meeting on the 18th however, they will direct County staff to review with the County Commission the Committee’s recommendations at future public workshops and discuss possible options with the County Commission and citizens. Ultimately, a county Ordinance will be drafted and public hearings will be held to address any proposed Ordinances.   
 
Again, no vote will be taken by the Board of County Commissioners at their November 18th meeting. Workshops will be advertised and posted on the County’s website once dates have been determined.
 
 
 

10/23/19 @ 11:30 a.m. - The Right Whale Festival will be held in Fernandina Beach November 2-November 3, 2019 in celebration of the annual return of the endangered North Atlantic right whales to the warm coastal water off Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. This family friendly event highlights local efforts to protect this endangered species and will feature ocean-themed activities and exhibits on how to be more environmentally sensitive, live music and more! For more information on this free event, please click here. 

In conjunction with the Festival, Keep Nassau Beautiful has coordinated a Beach Clean-Up Event for Saturday, November 2nd from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and is currently seeking volunteers. To sign up, please click here. Site captains will be provide trash grabbers and buckets. Volunteers should bring their own water sunscreen and/or bug spray.

If you have any questions, please contact Keep Nassau Beautiful directly at (904) 261-0165 or email knb@keepnassaubeautiful.org.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/21/19 @ 1:30 p.m. - Just a friendly reminder that the County's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event and Food Drive for Barnabas is this Saturday, October 26th.

The event is scheduled from 8am to 12:00 p.m., or until the trucks are full (whichever comes first). The location is the Yulee Road & Bridge Yard located at 86200 Gene Lassere Blvd., Yulee.

Please click here to view the flyer for a complete list of items being accepted. You will be asked to show something for proof of residency. (Driver's License, utility bill, car registration, etc.)

It is requested that you bring at least one non-perishable caned item to be donated to the Barnabas Food Pantry.

For questions, call Keep Nassau Beautiful at (904) 261-0165.


-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

10/1/19 @ 2:55 p.m.

On Saturday, September 21, 2019, Keep Nassau Beautiful hosted a coastal clean-up event in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy's 34th Annual Coastal Cleanup. 165 volunteers removed 850 pounds trash from an estimated 11.5 miles of Nassau County coastlines, beaches and parking lot sites.

Below are charts showing the top 10 items collected, as well as the percentage of items collected at each location.

On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, thank you to Keep Nassau Beautiful and to each volunteer for cleaning Nassau County's coastline and for spreading awareness to Nassau County residents.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/26/19 @ 4:50 p.m. - Nassau County and Keep Nassau Beautiful will host a Household Hazardous Waste Event and Food Collection Drive for Barnabas on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

This event is for collection of materials that should not be thrown in the regular trash. Examples include:

-Paint, paint thinners, solvents
-Aerosol cans
-Household cleaners
-Pool chemicals
-Fertilizers and pesticides
-Propane tanks
-Radiator fluid, oil filters, oil/lubricants (used)
-Fluorescent bulbs
-Batteries
-Electronic devices such as computers, camcorders, power tools, keyboards, radios, televisions, desk and mobile phones, and more!

Please see the attached flyer for a complete listing.

DATE: Saturday, October 26, 2019
TIME: 8:00 a.m. - Noon (or until trucks reach capacity)
LOCATION: Nassau County Road Department, 86200 Gene Lassere Blvd., Yulee, FL 32097

This event is free with proof of Nassau County residency. No commercial disposal without prior approval. Small businesses should call in advance for pricing at (352) 334-0440.

PLEASE BRING A NON-PERISHABLE CANNED ITEM TO DONATE TO THE BARNABAS FOOD PANTRY.

Please contact Keep Nassau Beautiful at (904) 261-0165 with questions.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/17/19 @ 9:45 a.m. - Keep Nassau Beautiful will be hosting a beach clean-up event this Saturday, September 21st from 8am-10am. If you are interested in participating, please register online here and select your beach access point. Site captains will be available at each location to provide gloves, trash grabbers and buckets. Volunteers should bring sunscreen and water, if desired.

Call KNB at (904) 261-0165 or email knb@keepnassaubeautiful.org with questions.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/22/19 @ 12:45 p.m.

Attention Nature Lovers! The Florida Master Naturalist Program is offering an Uplands Module this Summer.
UF/IFAS Nassau County Extension along with community partners is offering an Uplands module beginning September 9 and ending October 2, 2019. This core course will provide classroom, field trip and practical experience as related to the Upland Systems of Florida. Classroom instruction will cover ecology, habitats, vegetation, wildlife and conservation issues for Florida’s... Hardwood forests, pinelands, scrub, dry prairie and rangelands as well as urban green spaces. Field trips will focus on providing students with real-life examples of these systems in Nassau County.
The only requirements of students are enthusiasm, attendance, and class project participation! Hurry up and reserve your spot today!
The Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) is an adult education UF/IFAS Extension program developed by the University of Florida and provided by professionals throughout the state of Florida. FMNP training will benefit persons interested in learning more about Florida’s environment or wishing to increase their knowledge for use in education programs as volunteers, employees, ecotourism guides and others.
Please register at: http://masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/ and for further questions please call 904-530-6350.

-Justina Dacey
 Nassau County Extension Office

8/20/19 @ 4:45 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Administrative Manager, County Manager’s Office
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com.
 
Establishment of a Subcommittee for the Beach Community Working Group
 
Nassau County, Florida, August 20, 2019 - On December 19, 2018, the Board of County Commissioners formed a Beach Community Working Group consisting of Mike Mullin, County Manager/County Attorney; Taco Pope, Assistant County Manager; Doug Podiak, Public Works Director; Gil Langley, Executive Director of the Tourist Development Council; Butch Osborne, Director of Operations for the Sheriff’s Office; Mac Morriss, Ex-Officio Member; and Lowell Hall, Ex-Officio Member.
 
The group was directed to review current beach related Ordinances and use of the beach and to make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners as to any updates or amendments that need to be made. A total of twelve (12) meetings have been held to date.
 
At the Beach Community Working Group Meeting held on August 15, 2019, a Subcommittee consisting of County Manager/County Attorney, Mike Mullin; Assistant County Manager, Taco Pope; Public Works Director, Doug Podiak; and Office of Management & Budget Director, Megan Diehl, was formed to review ADA issues related to beach camping and to discuss costs related to beach operations and management of camping permits.
 
Two meetings of the Subcommittee have been scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.
• Monday, September 9, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

 
The Subcommittee will discuss their findings at upcoming Beach Community Working Group Meetings which have been scheduled for:

• Monday, September 16, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

 
Please note that the previously scheduled Beach Community Working Group meeting for Thursday, August 22, 2019 has been cancelled.
 
Meetings of the Subcommittee and the Beach Community Working Group will be held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. All meetings are open to the public.
 
 
 

8/7/19 @ 10:15 a.m.

The FWC Gopher Tortoise Conservation Program will be conducting a Recipient Site and Habitat Management Incentive Workshop at Huguenot Memorial Park in Jacksonville, FL on Monday, August 12 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. The workshop will consist of a short, 30-minute presentation, followed by a tour of the park. The goal of these workshops is to encourage participation in gopher tortoise conservation at the local level by providing information on opportunities to generate revenue through gopher tortoise recipient sites. In addition, the FWC will discuss financial incentives available to local governments and private landowners for habitat management.
 
The presentation will include information on recipient site permitting options, minimum acceptable habitat criteria, and the financial benefits of establishing a gopher tortoise recipient site. Following the presentation, attendees will tour the park to discuss habitat management history and incentive programs for habitat management which can be utilized to meet the minimum habitat criteria required to establish a gopher tortoise recipient site. Attendees will also have the opportunity to see the inside of a gopher tortoise burrow, as we will be scoping burrows we find along the way with a burrow camera.
 
Registration for this workshop is free. If you are interested in attending, please register for the workshop by Friday, August 9th, 2019.
 
To register for the workshop, please click on the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gopher-tortoise-recipient-site-and-habitat-management-incentive-workshop-tickets-66600549035. Please feel free to pass this information along to those who may be interested in attending.