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County environmental staff report record sea-turtle nesting season, outline protections tied to beach-driving permit
Summary
Environmental Services staff said St. Johns County has recorded over 1,300 sea-turtle nests so far in 2026 and described measures required by the Habitat Conservation Plan to monitor nests, remove ruts, and limit driving to permitted access points during the May–October nesting season.
St. Johns County environmental staff reported a record sea-turtle nesting season in 2026 and described the county’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and permit conditions that regulate beach driving and require monitoring and protection during nesting season (May–October).
"We did break the record so far for nests in 2026, since the official monitoring started 20 years ago with over 1,300 nests so far," Ryan Mach, Supervisor of Environmental Services, said on the county’s post-meeting radio segment. He and Environmental Services Manager Michael Legasse noted most nests so far have been loggerheads, with a small number of Kemp's ridley, leatherbacks and green turtles.
Staff stressed that permitted beach driving is restricted to designated access points by the HCP and that monitoring, rut removal, lighting checks and volunteer permit-holder patrols are part of compliance and conservation work. Volunteers and county staff conduct GPS marking of nests and make targeted habitat interventions such as raking ruts and removing debris to help hatchlings reach the ocean.
