A grassy meadow with tall pine trees under a partly cloudy sky. — Birmingham Park’s woods and open meadows are now under permanent conservation protection in Milton.

About 185 acres of Birmingham Park will be protected from incompatible development under a conservation easement approved by Milton’s City Council on Oct. 5.

The agreement places the land under the oversight of the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust while leaving ownership and maintenance with the city. Milton announced the decision Tuesday, following years of work to protect the park’s trails, creeks, meadows and forest.

For visitors, the agreement brings no immediate change to how they use the park. Hiking, horseback riding, wildlife watching and other low-impact outdoor activities can continue.

Two people walking a wooded trail with a dog. — Visitors can keep hiking and enjoying Birmingham Park’s trails under the new easement.

The change concerns the park’s future: the city says the easement establishes permanent protection that future elected officials cannot simply reverse to develop the property.

“Birmingham Park has been part of Milton since our incorporation and represents so much of what makes our community special,” Mayor Peyton Jamison said.

Trails and Park Improvements Still Allowed

The agreement does not prevent Milton from caring for the park or adding facilities that support its recreational use.

According to the city, Milton can maintain existing trails, construct new ones and provide improvements such as signs, seating, shelters, parking and restrooms. Those projects, including any supporting utilities, must be consistent with the easement.

A woman standing beside a brown horse in a wooded area. — The conservation easement still allows uses such as horseback riding and trail recreation.

The Georgia-Alabama Land Trust will hold and monitor the easement, guarding against development or other changes that conflict with its conservation requirements.

City Manager Steven Krokoff said the agreement was designed to protect the property over the long term while allowing Milton to maintain it and residents to continue enjoying it.

Preserving a Natural Corner of Milton

Birmingham Park is in northwest Milton, with access off Hickory Flat Road near Birmingham Crossroads, Fire Station 43 and the city’s Public Works Yard.

A roadside sign marking the entrance to Birmingham Park in Milton. — The Birmingham Park entrance sits off Hickory Flat Road in northwest Milton.

Its mix of woods, open meadows and creeks offers space for outdoor recreation as the surrounding community grows. The council’s decision adds permanent conservation restrictions to approximately 185 acres of that landscape.

The Georgia-Alabama Land Trust works with governments, landowners and other organizations to conserve natural areas across Georgia, Alabama and neighboring states.