- March 17, 2026
The Volusia Forever program will remain as is.
The Volusia County Council was set to discuss the land conservation program — and possible policy changes — at its meeting on Tuesday, March 17. This came after the council directed staff last December to come back with a review of the voter-approved program, following concerns that properties proposed for acquisition meet the criteria of being "environmentally sensitive." Some council members worried that Volusia Forever was being used to take properties off the tax rolls to avoid future development.
Following hundreds of emails and citizen pushback, the majority of the council decided against proposing any modifications to the program.
"It's a testament and a clear indication of how this program is widely accepted, and the public does understand pretty much what they voted for," Councilman Danny Robins said. "But in my opinion, any further discussion in terms of modifications to it goes against the will of the people."
The item was removed from the council meeting's agenda in a 5-1 vote; Councilman Don Dempsey voted against and Councilman Troy Kent was absent.
As part of the approved motion, staff will place a discussion at the council's next meeting to discuss bonding for Volusia Forever.
Dempsey has expressed concern over conservation easements, saying partnerships with the state could harm the county in the future. The easements, he said, prevent the county from pumping stormwater into the land to prevent flooding or putting commercial wells in the land.
"Is that what you would want so that we can never access fresh water after our current aquifer goes?" he said.
Volusia Forever, created in 2000, was approved for another 20 years in 2020 by 75.6% of voters. Since then, the county has conserved almost 7,000 acres through fee simple acquisitions and conservation easements, leveraging $27.2 million in partner contributions against $38.3 million in total project costs, according to the county.
Community Services Director Brad Burbaugh said that the county can and does store water in its natural state on a property with a conservation easement. However, if the desire was to alter the hydrology to construct a wastewater treatment plant, for example, it would need to work with the partners who pitched in for the purchase of the land.
Properties acquired through easements remain on the tax rolls — the easements simply dictate that the land can only be used for conservation purposes.
There are 20 properties on the county's top priority list for acquisition, spanning a total of 11,852 acres. Of those, over 4,739 acres are wetlands, which the county states is equivalent to over $232.9 million in flood infrastructure.
Robins said he understood Dempsey's concerns, but that there are other ways the council can address them, such as putting certain stipulations in land acquisition contracts. He suggested the council hold a workshop on the issue.
Dempsey agreed, but still wanted to go over the program at the meeting.
"It's about having an intelligent discussion about the program, because again, the words perpetuity are attached to it," he said.
The county has been fighting preemption from the state, and Dempsey argued that the county gives the state its water rights in every single conservation easement, disguised as partnerships.
"We've contractually got into bed with the very people that are trying to take control of water and we're giving it to them one easement at a time," Dempsey said. "And you don't even want to talk about it? This is surreal."
Chair Jeff Brower said they are talking about it — and that the county doesn't partner with the state for every acquisition.
"Sometimes we pull in the state as a partner, and I agree with that, or St John's Water Management District or somebody else," he said, "Because it stretches our constituents' tax dollars so that we can buy more land. The reason that there's restrictions on those is to protect our water. It's to keep from pumping more water out of the ground and keeping it in the ground where it needs."
If there was an emergency and the county needed water, Brower said he believed they could talk about it and make changes. Nothing in politics, he said, is permanent.
"We just went through one of the most restrictive legislation seasons that I've ever seen, potentially dangerous for losing local control," Brower said. "But still in 25 years, they've never backed out of a Volusia Forever contract."
In response to Dempsey's comment about Volusia Forever being in perpetuity, Councilman Matt Reinhart said that's the very definition of "forever." The county needs partnerships to make the Volusia Forever program successful, he said.
"I think what we're doing is for the protection of water," Reinhart said.
During his closing comments, Dempsey broached the topic of a workshop again, asking for the courtesy to be allowed to discuss conservation easements — and relevant federal legislation — for Volusia Forever.
"To gag me, to not even present the stuff that I've been studying for nearly a year, I think it's wrong," he said. "I think it's a disservice to the community. I know it's an election year. I know it's not the politically correct way to talk about Volusia Forever, but it's something that needs to be talked about."
Shooting down the discussion, he said, was disrespectful.
"Are we preserving all this water just for the turtles?" he asked. "Is this people over fish, or fish over people? I feel like I'm amongst a bunch of Gavin Newsoms out here. This isn't California, guys."
Robins cautioned Dempsey that "insulting or lecturing colleagues is not a good way to get support."
The council discussed holding a workshop, or educational session, to discuss conservation easements and land acquisitions, but County Manager George Recktenwald advised them to narrow the topic.
"When you bring the whole thing, I think that it brings the impression that you are trying to overhaul," he said.
Dempsey said he doesn't want Volusia Forever to be defunded. But, he was still wary of partnerships.
"It's not Volusia Preempted Forever," he said. "It's not Volusia in Partnership with the State of Florida Forever. It's Volusia Forever."
A motion to hold a future workshop to receive information on easements and national trends was approved 6-0.
