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Leon County
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Item#7 January 27, 2026 |
| To: | Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board |
| From: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
| Title: | Approval of the 2026 ? 2036 J.R. Alford Greenway Management Plan and Authorization to Submit the Plan to the State |
| Review and Approval: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
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Department/Division Review and Approval: |
Ken Morris, Assistant County Administrator Nawfal Ezzagaghi, Assistant County Administrator |
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Lead Staff/ Project Team: |
Maggie Theriot, Director, Office of Resource Stewardship Amanda Heidecker, Director, Parks & Recreation |
Statement of Issue:
This item seeks Board approval of the 2026 – 2036 J.R. Alford Greenway Management Plan (2026 Plan) and authorization to submit the 2026 Plan to the State as required by Section 253.034(5), and Section 259.032(8)(c), Florida Statutes.
Fiscal Impact:
This item has a fiscal impact. Funding to support the J.R. Alford Greenway and the implementation of the Management Plan is provided annually through the Greenway Maintenance capital improvement program allocations, the Parks and Recreation operating budget, and grant funding opportunities. The current level of annual funding provided in the Division of Parks & Recreation operating and Greenways Maintenance capital improvement program budgets is adequate to support the implementation of the ten-year management plan. Additionally, County staff continue to pursue grant opportunities to supplement these allocations and support implementation of the Management Plan.
Staff Recommendation:
Option #1: Approve the 2026 – 2036 J.R. Alford Greenway Management Plan and authorize submittal to the State (Attachment #1).
Report and Discussion
Background:
This item seeks Board approval of the 2026 – 2036 J.R. Alford Greenway (JRAG) Management Plan (Attachment #1) (2026 Plan), and authorization to submit the 2026 Plan to the State as required by Section 253.034(5), Florida Statutes. The 2026 Plan reflects the goals and objectives developed and recommended by the J.R. Alford Greenway Citizen’s Committee (Citizen’s Committee). Upon State acceptance of the 2026 Plan, the Citizen’s Committee will be dissolved in accordance with the Enabling Resolution No. 24-62, adopted by the Board on October 8, 2024.
This item advances the following FY 2022 – FY 2026 Strategic Initiative:
Implement the Tallahassee-Leon County Greenways Master Plan. (2022-20)
This particular Strategic Initiative aligns with the Board’s Quality of Life Strategic Priority and 5-Year Target:
(Q1) Maintain and enhance our parks and recreational offerings and green spaces.
The County, as the land manager, is required to retain, follow, and update a management plan every 10 years for land owned by the State. The 2026 Plan outlines the guidelines and direction for managing the JRAG as part of the County's parks and greenways system. The 2026 Plan identifies the objectives, criteria, and standards that guide all aspects of greenway administration and specifies the measures that will be implemented to achieve the management objectives. By updating the management plan, the JRAG will continue to provide citizens with recreational opportunities while ensuring responsible land stewardship.
Per the land management lease with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) which administers this program on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (TIITF), the County began managing the approximately 881-acre JRAG property in May 2001 and is required to continue managing the property through 2050. The original management plan was finalized in 2003 with input from a citizen committee and thereafter was updated and approved by the state in April 2013.
Consistent with Section 253.034(5) and Section 259.032(8)(b), Florida Statutes, on October 8, 2024, the Board adopted an enabling resolution (Attachment #2) creating a new Citizen’s Committee. The Citizen’s Committee is an advisory group the Board tasked with providing input on the management plan which was essential to the success of the development of the 2026 Plan. This 14-member committee was comprised of 11 individuals representing specific entities mandated by Section 259.032(8)(b), Florida Statutes, and three members representing local trail user organizations due to their historical involvement and expertise with the JRAG. The following individuals served on the Citizen’s Committee:
Doug Bell, Tallahassee Mountain Bike Association, President or designee (Chairman)
John Dew, Buck Lake Alliance President (Vice Chairman)
Amelia Wilson, Observation Circle, Designee
Artie White, Director of Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Land Management & Community Enhancement (PLACE)
Burt Wolff, Stoney Creek Homeowners Association, President
Chris Waters, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Designee
Claire Blunden, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Designee
David O’Keefe, District 5 County Commissioner
Harris Walters, Director of the FDACS Division of Agricultural Environmental Services
Hawthorne Hay, Gulf Winds Track Club, Designee
James Billingsley, Leon County Soil & Water Conservation District
Mark Tancig, Extension Agent I, Leon County Cooperative Extension
Sue Noyes, President of Southern Trailriders Association
Travis Beckwith, Parks and Community Center’s Manager, Leon County Parks & Recreation
Analysis:
The Board established the Citizen’s Committee in October 2024 to provide informed community input and guidance during the update of the 2013 JRAG Management Plan. Since its formation, the Citizen’s Committee has convened multiple times and engaged in meaningful discussions about the future of the JRAG, including ways to foster community involvement and environmental stewardship. Through these public meetings and engagement, the Citizen Committee developed an updated management plan that prioritizes public access, protects vital natural resources, and promotes awareness of the JRAG’s historical and cultural significance.
At each of the publicly noticed meetings, the Citizen’s Committee engaged in extensive discussions to condense and refocus the eight core goals from the previous Plan into the following three goals for the 2026 Plan (Attachment #1):
Public Access & Recreational Enjoyment: Provide a welcoming, accessible, and safe recreation experience for all visitors.
Natural Resource Stewardship: Protect, maintain, restore, and expand ecological function across the diverse natural communities within the Greenway.
Public Awareness & Preservation of Cultural and Historical Features: Preserve cultural and historical features of the Greenway while building community engagement and education around its resources.
These refined goals formed the foundation of the 2026 Plan, which was released in draft form on November 12, 2025, and made available for the statutorily required 30-day public review period.
A publicly noticed meeting was held on December 15, 2025, to receive final community comments. Public input during this period reflected broad support for the 2026 Plan’s overall direction with residents and stakeholders consistently emphasizing the importance of improving user safety, strengthening trail connectivity, enhancing trail maintenance, clearly designating and expanding trail uses, preserving the Greenway’s natural character, and improving access and visitor amenities. The 2026 Plan directly incorporates these priorities through specific goals, objectives, and implementation strategies. By advancing updated trail management policies, expanding natural resource stewardship practices, improving access planning, and maintaining a strong commitment to community involvement, the 2026 Plan meaningfully reflects and responds to the key issues raised during the public review process (see Appendix B.2 within Attachment #1 for the full set of comments).
Upon Board approval and acceptance, the 2026 Plan will be submitted to the State for a 90-day review period followed by a hearing and final approval by the State of Florida Acquisition and Restoration Council. Consistent with the Enabling Resolution, the Citizen’s Committee shall be dissolved upon completion of the JRAG Management Plan and its acceptance by the State.
Options:
Recommendation:
Option #1
Attachments: