ATLANTA, GA (October 23, 2020) — The historic Cabin Bluff property in Camden County is one step closer to permanent protection now that The Church of Eleven22, a Jacksonville, Florida-based congregation, has purchased a 3,217-acre portion of the property known as the retreat tract from The Nature Conservancy and the Open Space Institute. The Conservancy and Open Space Institute, with financial assistance from Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, Wyss Foundation and generous donors, purchased the 11,000-acre property in 2018 with the goal of protecting it in its entirety by selling a portion to a private buyer and the remainder to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with each portion subject to a conservation easement.
While the church’s tract will not be open to the public, but the sale brings Georgians closer to obtaining a new coastal Wildlife Management Area that is amply suited for outdoor recreation, including wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting, kayaking and nature photography. The state and Navy co-hold a conservation and restrictive easement over the now privately-owned portion of Cabin Bluff. The state is expected to take ownership of the remaining land in 2021.