Homeless camp area to be cleared of brush by county

The decision to clear underbrush comes nearly a week after county officials surveyed the homeless camp that inhabits the 19-acre property.


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  • | 12:22 p.m. February 27, 2019
The Flagler County Public Library. Photo courtesy of Google Maps
The Flagler County Public Library. Photo courtesy of Google Maps
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Flagler County Land Management is going to clear underbrush in the woods behind the Flagler County Public Library, where officials have recently toured to observe a homeless camp.

Public Lands and Natural Resources Manager Tim Telfer said Land Management has cleared underbrush and other vegetation on the 19-acre property, located at 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW, twice since 2015. Land Management previously discussed using a prescribed burn to clear out vegetation, but that option is no longer on the table.

The decision to clear the brush is “tangentially related to the folks taking residency out there,” Telfer said. “But it’s been a fire hazard for a while.”

Because the area hasn’t seen a fire in a long time, pine needles that have fallen on the forest floor created a blanket called a duff that holds moisture in. The trees run their roots up into it, so a prescribed fire that is hotter than anticipated can burn root tips, which can cause the pines to die.

There’s also a smoke concern for the area’s neighborhoods.

“The risks really outweigh the benefits here,” Telfer said.

Land Management is currently receiving quotes to either rent equipment or to hire a contractor to clear underbrush and to remove potentially hazardous trees ahead of hurricane season.

The vegetation removal will be largely mechanical. The county wants to employ the use of a special mulching head that can grind up small trees in place.

Telfer said the county does not know when the project will start, but, once it begins, he expects it to take at least two weeks to finish.

Costs are not known at this time, but could prove expensive. Telfer said renting the mulching head alone could cost about $3,500 for a full month.

 

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