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Advisory committee advances several conservation acquisitions; places multiple parcels on A list
Summary
The Volusia Forever Advisory Committee advanced four applications to the A list, placed one property on the B list, and deemed another application eligible. Staff reported progress on multiple pending acquisitions and partnerships with state and federal partners.
The Volusia Forever Advisory Committee moved multiple candidate properties forward at its Feb. 7 meeting, placing four applications on the A list, moving one property to the B list and finding another eligible for consideration.
Committee members voted to place the Feast Corporation, Donald and Chelsea Hartling (Harding), the GNS Family Trust and an additional Harding application on the A list. The John Anderson Drive fee-simple application (14 acres) was placed on the B list after questions about its dock, buildings and partial upland clearing. The Sutherland working lands application (502 acres) was deemed eligible by motion.
Tim Telfer, Volusia County staff, presented the applications and scored staff reviews during the committee's ranking segment. Members asked detailed questions about on-site features that could affect management, such as the condition of a dock on the John Anderson Drive property and whether storage buildings would be retained, removed or repurposed under county or state management plans. A land-management staff member said structures are reviewed case by case to determine whether they are assets or should be removed after acquisition.
Motions and committee actions included: - John Anderson Drive (fee simple, 14 acres): motion to place on the B list by a committee member; second and voice vote carried to place the property on the B list. - Feast Corporation (approx. 935 acres, working farms/forests): motion to place on the A list by David Sosa; second by John Macaluso; carried unanimously. - Donald and Chelsea Hartling (working farms/forests, ~10 acres): motion by Steve Crump; second by John Gamble; carried. - GNS Family Trust (working farms/forests, ~21 acres): motion by David Sosa; second (recorded); carried unanimously. - John and Susan Harding property (working farms/forests, ~10 acres): motion by David Sosa; second by Kelly Frasca; carried. - Sutherland application (working farms/forests, 502 acres): motion to deem eligible by John Gamble; second recorded; carried.
Staff also provided a series of project updates, describing progress toward closing on several acquisitions including the Stewart property (documents executed and deeds in queue), Pickett and Cooper (closing documents incoming), Double Eagle (partnership with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services), Carter (1,300 acres; draft survey received; state funding approved), and Tomoka Marsh (offer stage with Florida Department of Environmental Protection). Telfer said the county is coordinating with the St. Johns River Water Management District and state partners on financial and management arrangements for several transactions.
Committee members asked about matching funds and programmatic overlays such as the Lake to Lagoon grant boundary, the Rural Family Lands Protection Program and Florida Wildlife Corridor priorities. Staff said they are monitoring federal program rule changes (Regional Conservation Partnership Program and federal executive orders) but are proceeding with current schedules and have contingency options to pursue state funding or alternate program pathways if federal funds shift.
The committee will continue to review these applications under the updated resolution language adopted at the meeting and receive staff updates at future meetings.
