Reorganization consolidates management of ECHO and Volusia Forever

Posted On: May 18, 2021

They’re two popular, voter-approved programs with a similar purpose – to preserve and enhance environmental, cultural, historic and outdoor recreation sites and facilities. And now, management of the ECHO and Volusia Forever programs will be brought under the same umbrella as part of a reorganization of the county’s community services department that was approved Tuesday by the County Council.

Both programs already were managed by community services, but Volusia Forever’s land management activity was run by a separate division – parks, recreation and culture. Another division in the community services department, the cooperative extension service, provides practical education in areas such as agriculture and natural resources, urban and commercial horticulture and family and consumer sciences through a partnership with the University of Florida. As part of Tuesday’s reorganization, the cooperative extension service division is being renamed the resource stewardship division – with expanded duties that include responsibility and oversight for both the ECHO and Volusia Forever programs. The newly-named division will also include the land management component for the Volusia Forever program, which utilizes a voter-approved tax to finance the acquisition and improvement of environmentally sensitive, water resource protection and outdoor recreation lands that are managed by the county as conservation stewards in perpetuity.

Oversight of the land acquisition portion of the Volusia Forever program, which in years past had been managed by the county’s growth and resource management department, will also come under the new resource stewardship division in community services.

“I think this is an excellent move,” said Councilman Fred Lowry.