Longleaf Alliance MOU to develop trails at Clear Creek and East Bay moves to consent agenda

A memorandum of understanding between Santa Rosa County and the Longleaf Alliance to support phased trail development at Clear Creek and East Bay preserves was moved to the Thursday consent agenda after unanimous support in the commissioners' Feb. 10 agenda review.

The MOU would authorize the Longleaf Alliance to collaborate with county staff on trail establishment, habitat planning, signage and creation of accessible loops; staff said initial work would leverage existing roads and trails to create a first loop and later build ADA‑compliant short loops and expanded hiking or biking routes.

Vernon Compton of the Longleaf Alliance told commissioners the nonprofit can provide trail‑building expertise — trained crews, brush cutting and chainsaw work — and help the county accelerate a multi‑phase plan. Several residents and commissioners praised the partnership; Sherry Sebastio called the project “a great thing” for community recreation and conservation, and Dave Jensen said the approach leverages nonprofit capacity while keeping the county in charge of standards and maintenance.

The presentation noted the county used conservation dollars to acquire the parcels and that parking and DOT coordination remain part of the implementation plan. Staff said the first phase could be ready for springtime hiking, contingent on coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation for parking access.

Next step: with unanimous support at agenda review, staff will place the MOU on Thursday's consent agenda for formal approval and authorize the chairman to sign related documents if the board approves.