Jekyll Island, a state park governed by the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA), relies entirely on tourism and lease revenue to conduct island-wide maintenance and operations. Jekyll Island is challenged with integrating human land use and economic sustainability with natural resource management and ecological viability. This unique position of the JIA allows for indispensable outlets for research, public outreach and education to the one-million plus annual visitors. This department is heavily involved in the development and implementation of the recently-approved Jekyll Island Conservation Plan. This Plan also designates conservation and planning committees that provide review, input, and recommendations for island activities that may influence ecological communities. Island-wide, this dedication to applied management of both wildlife and human behaviors and habitat use enables Jekyll to serve as a representative model for developing solutions to balance human-wildlife interactions. This model can be used in other urban-natural interfaces and will provide a template for biologists, land managers, landscape planners, and the general public.