Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority or low-income populations.
 
Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.

Applicant:

City of Jacksonville

Project Title:

HMGP 4734-(134) City of Jacksonville, Beach & Peach-Bulls Bay-Monticello, Seaton Creek, Wildfire Mitigation

Location of Proposed Work:

The area affected by this project consists of homes in proximity to the following locations:

• Beach and Peach Urban Park - 10080 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville FL 32246
• Bulls Bay Preserve - 8017 Old Plank Rd., Jacksonville FL 32220
• Monticello A - 0 Plummer Rd, Jacksonville FL 32219
• Seaton Creek Preserve - 2145 Gold Star Family Parkway, Jacksonville FL 32218

Proposed Work and Purpose:                                                                            

The City of Jacksonville proposes to provide wildfire protection to four (4) parks/preserves located in Jacksonville, Florida 32246, 32220, 32219, and 32218. The project area includes Beach and Peach Urban Park, Bulls Bay Preserve, Monticello A Preserve, and Seaton Creek Preserve Park. The project proposes to provide protection by improving the wildfire protection of City areas through hazardous fuels reduction/vegetation maintenance. Activities are separated by location into four (4) improvement zones:

1. Beach and Peach Urban Park – Shall include fuel reduction/vegetation maintenance of 25 acres along the perimeter of the park (except the north side). The park is in the Southside Estates area of southeast Jacksonville between Anders and Beach Boulevards, in areas with residential and commercial development, including Windy Hills Elementary School, Head Start & Parent Child Center, Tulsa Welding School, and the Southside Estates Elementary School which are near, but not directly adjacent, to the park. Vegetation management shall involve removal of fallen trees, mulching of underbrush and removal of fuel.

2. Bulls Bay Preserve - Shall include fuel reduction/vegetation maintenance of 100 acres along the eastern perimeter, where there are commercial properties adjacent to the park, and western perimeter at the southern end of the park, where there are residential properties adjacent to the park, ending at the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail. The park is in a rural area with residential development, commercial properties, and light industry. Vegetation management shall involve removal of fallen trees, and removal of duff and underbrush to reduce the fuel load.

3. Monticello A - Shall include fuel reduction/vegetation maintenance of 70 acres along the upper eastern and the northern perimeter of the park where there are residential properties adjacent to the park. The park is in a rural area with the Jacksonville Rural Club subdivision adjacent to the northeast perimeter of the park and several single-family homes along Plumber Road along the northern perimeter of the park. Vegetation maintenance shall involve the removal of fallen trees, duff and underbrush to reduce the fuel load.

4. Seaton Creek Preserve - Shall include fuel reduction/vegetation maintenance of 60 acres along the upper eastern and the northern perimeter of the park where there are residential properties adjacent to the park. The Seaton Creek Reserve subdivision of single-family homes is next to the south and eastern edges of the preserve. Vegetation maintenance shall involve the removal of underbrush to reduce the fuel load.

The project shall reduce the risk of property loss by protecting 2,672 residential and 419 commercial properties from potential wildfires. All activities shall be implemented using current codes and best practices, and shall be completed in strict compliance with Federal, State, and Local applicable rules and regulations.

Project Alternatives:

The alternatives to the project that have been and will be considered are 1) the no action alternative and 2) mitigation activities are limited to one of the four locations. These alternatives to the proposed project are not viable because under Alternative 1) the risk of wildfire is not reduced and Alternative 2) does not provide adequate mitigation across all proposed project areas.

Comment Period:

Comments are solicited from the public; local, state or federal agencies; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Bureau of Mitigation, 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100. These are due within 30 days of this notice, April 25, 2025. The State will forward comments to applicable regulatory agencies as needed. Interested persons may submit comments, obtain more detailed information about the proposed action, or request a copy of the findings by contacting:

Noah Ray, Emergency Preparedness Supervisor
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department
(904) 255-3117
nray@coj.net

State Environmental Specialist Team
Florida Division of Emergency Management                             
MitigationEnvironmental@em.myflorida.com