Flagler County staff on Monday presented a purchase-and-sale agreement for roughly 3,800 acres about five miles west of Espanola that lies inside the Florida Wildlife Corridor and would be bought with state funds reserved for corridor acquisitions.

The county’s legal staff and land management brought the agreement to the Board of County Commissioners and identified three contract conditions the board should note: an existing oil, gas and mineral reservation recorded before the Peterson purchase; no current legal access to the tract; and the sellers’ request to limit post‑closing representations and warranties to six months.

“Held by Mr. Peterson since 1958, the property is currently owned by trusts identified by him prior to his death,” county staff said. Staff explained the mineral reservation was recorded on an earlier conveyance and was written as a long‑term reservation; because the tract lacks legal access the county said holders of any mineral rights would be unlikely to exercise them now. County staff said the purchase contract allows the county to cancel if it cannot secure reasonable access at a reasonable price.

The county also told commissioners the trustees asked to limit the standard representations and warranties to six months so the trust could distribute sale proceeds to beneficiaries without prolonged exposure to claims. Jeff Dollinger, the attorney representing the trusts, told the board he had authority to discuss the six‑month limitation and said the trustees would be open to discussing a different period if the county considered six months too short.

Commissioners asked about the appraisal ($6,000,000), whether the tract was buildable, and the county’s remaining balance of wildlife corridor funds. Land management staff said the figure was based on property appraiser acreage, that a survey has not been completed because surveyors require legal access, and that the county still had unspent wildlife corridor funds. Staff said surveys and access will be resolved with adjacent landowners and third parties; they are also pursuing permission from an investor‑owned utility to cross utility land for access.

Staff said the acquisition is on the board’s consent agenda for the regular meeting and emphasized the property’s stated conservation purpose under the state program. The county noted the tract’s addition would substantially increase acreage managed by the county’s land management program.

The presentation closed with staff noting acquisition is contingent on verification of acreage and that the purchase price would be adjusted if the verified acreage differed from the appraisal basis.