Volusia County Expands Conservation Corridor with State Funding

The Volusia Conservation Corridor will be expanded by 1,335 acres thanks to a purchase by the state government at the urging of the Volusia County Council. $18.5 million will be spent on acquiring lands marked as high priority by the county, with an intended use for preservation of the natural flora and fauna of the land. Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the purchase from its private owner, M.L. Carter Services. The land in question was evaluated to be of high conservation value by Volusia County, making it a prime candidate to be purchased using state funds. Several sensitive species reside in the Volusia Conservation Corridor, such as the gopher tortoise, Florida black bear, large-flowered rosemary, and bald eagle. The area, known to many as Carter Quail Ranch, will bring the total acreage of the preserve to 9,395. “I want to thank the Governor and Cabinet for their collaboration and investment in our award-winning Volusia Forever program,” said County Manager George Recktenwald. “Our strategic approach to partnership development and engagement has allowed us to leverage $7.2 million in local Volusia Forever funds with $25.3 million from our partners to purchase a total of 5,536 acres since 2021.” In addition to the wildlife conservation supported by the purchase, the county said in a news release that it’s also hopeful the acquisition will contribute toward water filtration that will raise the quality of environmental health for Volusia County as a whole. The purchase is part of the larger Florida Forever program, which was established by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) aiming to strategically preserve key parts of the state from future development.