Local governments are working together on projects that will expand recreation and open space opportunities and will provide an alternative means of transportation for some. This cooperation is vital in making the Lehigh Greenway Rail Trail project a reality. It's not only limited to the local governmental entities, but also, involves the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Office of Greenways and Trails and the Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources and other private businesses.
The Lehigh Greenway Rail Trail, which primarily lies within the City of Palm Coast, will form the northernmost boundary of the proposed mixed-use development, Town Center. The city’s successful Greenway land acquisition accessible via bike/pedestrian pathways will link up with the Lehigh Greenway Rail Trail project and the proposed Palm Coast Town Center.
The City of Palm Coast is assisting with its Development of Regional Impact for Town Center and will make the Center a trailhead for special events on the trail.
Other agencies, such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Johns River Water Management District, the Division of Forestry and the Florida Park Patrol have assisted, during the interim management period, with trespassing and vandalism, and have expressed a willingness to assist with random patrols of the trail once the paved trail is opened.
Flagler County has also established a coastal greenway program centered along the Intracoastal Waterway. The greenway protects various aquatic preserves and conservation areas along the entire length of the Flagler County coastal area. One goal of the Coastal Greenway is to eventually link these separate greenway features to each other through acquisition, easements, or regulatory means. One of the largest of contiguous protected areas within the Coastal Greenway is Graham Swamp, a 4,500-acre hardwood swamp that lies directly adjacent on the south to the project area. Graham Swamp is one of the last remaining major coastal hardwood swamp ecosystems in Florida.
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