On Aug. 2, 2013, Regional Director Stan Austin approved the Finding of No Significant Impact for the Kingsley Plantation - Ribault Club Interpretive Tram Tour. The National Park Service, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, has selected Alternative B for implementation which will improve the interpretive connectivity and visitor mobility between the Kingsley Plantation and the Ribault Club by providing an interpretive tram service.
The project includes a new maintenance and storage facility for the trams and transportation stops at Kingsley Plantation and the Ribault Club. The maintenance and storage facility will be constructed at the site of the "Johnson Barn" on Fort George Island and is adjacent to the Kingsley Plantation. The tram will utilize existing infrastructure by operating along L'Engle Avenue and the Multi-use Trail, with the interpretive tram tour traveling in both directions along this route and requiring the vehicle to turn around at Kingsley Plantation and the Ribault Club. According to Superintendent Barbara Goodman, "The Multi-use Trail provides the best opportunity for historic and ecological interpretation and allows us to maximize visitor opportunity to learn about the history and ecology of Fort George Island." The route is 3.4 miles round trip. Visitors will be able to board the tram at either site from the Kingsley Plantation parking lot and the Ribault Club driveway. With this approval, the preserve will be able to begin construction of the maintenance and storage facility and purchase the trams. Tours are anticipated to begin in 2014.
For more information regarding this project, contact Shauna Allen, Chief of Resource Stewardship and Partnerships at 904-221-5568.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
