$25 million grant fuels Lake to Lagoon Regional Conservation program.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

In a significant boost to environmental conservation efforts, the Lake to Lagoon regional conservation partnership program has been granted $25 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to preserve sensitive agricultural lands and implement conservation and land management initiatives aimed at enhancing climate resilience. The Lake to Lagoon area includes the low-lying counties of Volusia, Lake, and Flagler, which are home to more than a million residents and a diversity of wildlife, wildlands, rural farms, and timberlands.

Heading this conservation endeavor is the Alachua Conservation Trust, which is collaborating with Volusia County - the most considerable contributor to the program, having committed $20 million in matching funds through the Volusia Forever program and Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience.

Among the organizations joining forces in the Lake to Lagoon program are the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns River Water Management District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, North Florida Prescribed Burn Association, Friends of Wekiva, West Volusia Audubon, and the Riverside Conservancy.

“Through this innovative public-private partnership, Volusia County will be able to provide farmers, ranchers, and foresters with an alternative to selling their land for development and allow them to maintain it for agricultural production in perpetuity,” said Land Acquisition Manager Tim Telfer. 

The Lake to Lagoon program will commence in 2024, extending through 2029. Individuals seeking further information about the program should contact Brad Burbaugh, Community Services Director, at 386-748-9120 or bburbaugh@volusia.org.