Presented courtesy of 

St. Johns Puts Premium on Sustainability Efforts

For St. Johns County, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it is an integral part of the community’s strategic planning priorities.

“The county’s new strategic plan outlines six strategic priorities that help drive sustainability,” said Public Affairs Director Wayne Larson. “They are community trust, community well-being, enhanced conservation, economic prosperity, infrastructure and organizational excellence.”

Under the heading of “Enhance Conservation,” the strategic plan calls for collaboration with key stakeholders to protect environmentally sensitive lands and natural resources with several objectives designed to implement sustainable priorities. Those include pursuing diverse funding sources to support land conservation including partnerships, government grants, donations and corporate sponsorships, as well as philanthropic investments.

In addition, the plan aims to improve opportunities for outdoor recreation in the county and increase public awareness of access to trails, waterways and natural areas, and to establish proactive planning and sustainable strategies to protect community infrastructure and natural ecosystems from natural disasters and rising sea levels.

To accomplish those goals, the strategic plan also sets as objectives the exploration of opportunities and incentives for developers to contribute to conservation and preservation efforts and to support the county’s agricultural economy with options to promote and sustain the cultural identify of agricultural land while respecting the rights of property owners.

The plan also aims to protect cultural, historical and natural resources that maintain neighborhood character and stability in alignment with resident goals.

Larson said the strategic plan offers the county the opportunity to provide program monitoring and accountability while aligning resources in the county budget.

The plan’s initiative will be spearheaded by the county’s new Office of Performance and Transparency, Larson said.