- April 25, 2024
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Flagler County could bear the brunt of budget cuts, which target 53 Florida state parks.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has proposed to reduce its budget by 15%, which includes closing 53 state parks; two of those parks are in Flagler County — Bulow Creek State Park and Washington Oaks Garden State Park.
The proposed closings are in response to Gov. Rick Scott’s attempt to cut budgets. State officials say closing the parks could save the state about $6.5 million annually.
The budget hearing will take place next month, and county staff is working to prevent the two parks from closing.
A letter was drafted Friday, Feb. 4, by county staff and will be reviewed by the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners Monday, Feb. 7, at a workshop.
Officials fear the closure of these two parks would deliver a major blow to the tourism industry in the county, the draft states.
The parks were selected on attendance numbers and neither Washington Oaks nor Bulow Ruins rank in the top 25 most visited in the state. Also, neither of the county’s parks offers camping facilities, another factor considered by the DEP.
Moreover, the county’s draft states both of the parks in Flagler County have “significant historical backgrounds that make them for more noteworthy and valuable than most other typical parks.”
The draft is tentative and could be changed on Monday, but upon approval, the letter will be sent to Flagler County’s legislative delegation.
Acquired in 1981, Bulow Creek boasts 150 acres and features a 6.8-mile hiking and biking trail.
Washington Oaks is 425 acres nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. The property was once owned by a relative of President George Washington. Additionally, of the seven parks on the proposed closure list stretching from Flagler Beach, north to Jacksonville, Washington Oaks has the highest attendance numbers listed, at 59,998 annual visitors.
Other items that will be discussed at the workshop Monday, Feb. 7, include:
— Possible dates for an economic summit
— Fish and Wildlife Commission manatee protection zones
— Discussion of paperless Board of County Commissioners agenda packages
