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Flagler County, Town of Marineland sign MOU to manage River To Sea Preserve; town to handle event fees and local stewardship duties
Summary
County staff and Marineland approved a memorandum of understanding that clarifies responsibilities at the River To Sea Preserve: the town will manage event applications and fees while the county will continue stewardship reporting and site management coordination with state partners.
FLAGLER COUNTY — The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 10 approved a memorandum of understanding with the Town of Marineland to clarify management responsibilities at the River To Sea Preserve.
County staff said the MOU is an interim step toward a revised interlocal agreement that will delineate each party's responsibilities. Under the MOU, Flagler County will continue to provide annual stewardship reports and undertake land-management duties; the town of Marineland will assume responsibility for managing and vetting event applications and collecting event fees for activities on the preserve. County staff said the town will adopt the MOU and the two governments will complete a revised interlocal agreement later.
"So, the town will be adopting this as we work towards a revised interlocal," County staff said during the presentation.
Staff also told the board the county is coordinating with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and GTM Research Reserve (GTM NERR). DEP staff reviewed the county's recent cleanup and the county reported actions already taken: removal of a bathhouse structure, demolition permitting and relocation of equipment to start slab removal. County staff said they plan to co‑locate certain county functions at the River To Sea facility later this spring to support stewardship, public outreach and visitor services.
The board approved the MOU on a motion by Commissioner Pennington, seconded by Commissioner Hansen; the voice vote was unanimous.
Why it matters: The MOU clarifies operational responsibilities for the preserve and positions the town to manage event applications and fee collection, while the county maintains stewardship and coordination with state conservation partners. The arrangement aims to streamline operations and address previously flagged DEP concerns.
Next steps: County and town staff will complete the revised interlocal agreement and finalize operational details; county staff expect to relocate operations to the preserve in March or April and will provide updated stewardship reports to partners.
