by Jon Kohler, JD
by Lori Bembry Weldon
There is something magical about Coastal Georgia – the charming historic homes with their huge wrap-around porches, majestic live oaks, cozy porch swings and, maybe best of all, the coastal marsh views that encourage one to slow down, sit for a spell and reflect on the early days of this great country.
The State of Georgia was settled by General James Oglethorpe in the early 1700s. King George II of England signed the charter creating the 13th and final American colony of Georgia on April 21, 1732. Georgia proved to be very profitable for England with its vast riches of timber and other natural resources. The colony also provided a natural buffer zone between South Carolina and Florida, aiding in the defense of the other twelve colonies, from the Spanish who settled Florida, and the French who settled Louisiana.
In 1733, the city of Savannah would become Georgia’s first settlement. During those early days, the colony of Georgia included much of present-day Alabama and Mississippi. It was a much sought-after area because of its large river systems, including the Altamaha and Savannah rivers. These waterways provided valuable conduits of transportation, essential in building the British Empire in the Americas.
Additionally, the coastal shores of Georgia, with its miles of marshland, provided a great natural barrier system that provided natural protection for whoever controlled it.
Fast forward to today – who now owns all that wonderful marsh? According to Georgia’s 1981 Protection of Tidewaters Act, the state does. Having the pleasure of representing several island properties in the Savannah area, I have found, believe it or not, remnants of King George’s rule here that usurp that 1981 act. I often encounter Coastal Georgia land gifted to landowners by King George II of Great Britain during colonial times.
These land grants are referred to as King’s Grants and can be passed down through generations to today’s landowners. Oftentimes, these grants were originally awarded by King George to loyal colonists who served in the military and settled in the colony of Georgia.
One of our current listings, Black Island Estate, located in Darien, Georgia is attached to a King’s Grant. This property is located just across the creek from the historic British outpost of Ft. King George. The British flag and old cannons along the fort perimeter are visual reminders of struggles during colonial times. It has been an interesting exercise to research the history of Black Island, which dates back to the 1700s and the settlement of Georgia. And, maybe the most interesting component is that Black Island is surrounded by 90 acres of marshland that are owned by the private landowner through a King’s Grant. How nice it must be, to sit on your private wrap-around porch and look over your private marshland.
While researching the history of these properties, I visited many local historical sites to educate myself on the back story and history of the area. Needless to say, American history has taken on an entirely new meaning, and my affinity for this area grows with each visit.
One of my favorite historical sites to visit is Ft. King George, across the waterway from Black Island. This fort was built in 1721 along the Darien River and served as the southernmost outpost of the British Empire in the Americas until 1727. Known as the Little Amazon of the South, the Altamaha River Delta provided a much sought-after area that Great Britain, France and Spain were competing to control.
The Altamaha River is the largest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi and Georgia’s greatest natural resource. The Altamaha River is the second largest contributor of freshwater to the Atlantic Ocean east of the Mississippi, so gaining control of this massive waterway allowed Great Britain to establish a defensive line along the southern frontier which would encourage new settlements in the Americas. Control of this large river system was vital for Great Britain
and afforded them the ability to control economic activities and commerce in the Southeast, most notably fur trade.
Georgia is home to over 400,000 acres of tidal marshland. These salt marshes are some of the most biologically productive natural systems on Earth. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has estimated that these marshlands produce nearly 20 tons of biomass per acre, which makes them four times more productive than the most carefully cultivated cornfields.
The importance of conserving and protecting these areas is of vital importance. And, wouldn’t it be nice to do your part by owning your own piece of Georgia’s coastal marsh?
The tranquil salt marshes, abundant wildlife and majestic live oaks are all trademarks of this Coastal Georgia area often referred to as the Golden Isles. I love representing these properties and having an integral part in finding new land stewards that will continue to pro tect these precious natural resources – dedicating ourselves to the preservation of land and conserving these wildlife habitats to ensure that future generations will be afforded the opportunity to enjoy its breathtaking beauty.
From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.
Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Cole’s dedication to land management lies in his family roots. As a fourth-generation timber expert, Cole’s earliest memories were spent with his father managing timber investments. With a degree in Food Resource Economics from the University of Florida, Cole is the epitome of an up-and-coming leader. He grew up with a hands-on approach to learning land management and conservation and has spent the last 15 years learning every angle of the real estate and forest industry. Cole is a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Red Hills Quail Forever, Southeastern Wood Producers Association and he uses this platform as an advocate for landowners and their land investments. His family has dedicated the past 60 years to providing landowners in North Florida and South Georgia with professional land management services focused on improving and protecting one’s forestland and wildlife investment. In fact, their family business, M.A. Rigoni, Inc., was one of the first to introduce whole tree chipping to the Red Hills Region.
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.