Volusia Forever Expands Conservation Efforts

Posted On: June 24, 2024

The popular Volusia Forever program made a giant leap forward with the recent purchase of 2,508 acres of environmentally sensitive lands east of I-95 in Edgewater. The $4.7 million purchase includes three properties that encompass important wetlands that flow into the North Indian River Lagoon. The Volusia County Council approved the purchase during its June 18 meeting.

This is the largest Volusia Forever purchase since voters reauthorized the conservation land-buying program in November 2020. Following the purchase, the state’s land acquisition program, Florida Forever, will reimburse Volusia County $3.21 million for the purchase of the largest 2,047-acre property.

The property was purchased from the Stewart family, who played a significant role in Volusia County’s success and growth. Attorney and judge Isaac Stewart set up the first law partnership in DeLand, representing Henry A. DeLand and John B. Stetson, was instrumental in creating the county seat in DeLand, and served as a member of the County Commission. In 1908, Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt, daughter of Isaac Stewart, was the first woman to graduate from a Florida law school, the Stetson University College of Law, and the first female lawyer recorded by the Florida Supreme Court.

“We could not be more thrilled with the acquisition of this land,” said Volusia County Land Acquisition Manager Tim Telfer. “Over the years, the Stewart family has left its mark on Volusia County in more ways than one. This purchase will not only allow us to conserve thousands of acres forever but also preserve the Stewart family legacy.”

This acquisition has been a high priority for the Volusia County Council because of the opportunity to preserve the natural floodplain, create public recreation, and protect water quality in the Indian River Lagoon, which acts as a refuge for countless species and as a spawning and nursery ground for many fish found off Florida’s coast. 

Volusia Forever was created in 2000 when Volusia County citizens voted to tax themselves .2 mills over 20 years to protect the county’s natural biodiversity. Voters renewed it for another 20 years in 2020. To stretch these dollars as far as possible, Volusia Forever forms partnerships with federal, state, water management district and local agencies that are committed to protecting natural resources. More than 40,000 acres have been acquired since the program’s inception.