Real estate investor Stratford Land has sold 16,083 acres of its Ceylon property in Woodbine, Ga., also known as Big Pasture, to a pair of land conservation organizations—The Conservation Fund and Open Space Institute.
“Stratford Land is pleased to have The Conservation Fund and Open Space Institute purchase Ceylon for future public conservation. Due to its location on the Georgia coast, the property has long been an important location in Camden County. The sale is part of the way we are good stewards to the properties that we own,” says David Moore, director of investments for Stratford Land.
The property was part of a land portfolio that Stratford Land originally purchased from the Sea Island Co. It is located next to Cabin Bluff and includes over 3 miles of water frontage on the Satilla River and Todd Creek, as well as 23 miles of views from the marsh frontage. The land has an approved DRI (Development of Regional Impact), and is zoned for residential, commercial, and industrial use.
“Natural lands of this size are rare, and the ecological importance of this property has made it a top priority for conservation over the last decade,” says Andrew Schock, Georgia state director for The Conservation Fund. According to Maria Whitehead, senior program manager for the Southeast at Open Space Institute, the acquisition of the Ceylon property will protect a number of the state’s viable gopher tortoise populations.
Stratford Land has two additional parcels left from the original Sea Island land acquisition. Altama, located on the Altamaha River in Glynn County, covers 895 acres of residential and highway commercial entitled land. Sinclair, located on St. Simons Island, covers 68 acres with approval for a 121-lot subdivision.
