Volusia County consolidates management of ECHO and Volusia Forever programs

Both programs were already managed by community services, but the land management activity was run by a separate division.

By Jarleene Almenas
| 9:00 a.m. May 22, 2021

A map showing the conservation lands in Volusia County. Courtesy of Volusia County Government

Ormond Beach Observer
News

As part of Volusia County's community services department reorganization, management of the ECHO and Volusia Forever programs will be brought under the same umbrella.

This was approved by the Volusia County Council on Tuesday, May 18. A county press release explains that both programs were already managed by community services, but that Volusia Forever's land management activity was run by the county's parks, recreation and culture division.

"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 press release states.

This renamed division will also include the land management component for the Volusia Forever program, which finances the acquisition and improvement of environmentally-sensitive land via a voter-approved tax.

Oversight of the land acquisition portion of Volusia Forever will also come under the new resource stewardship division in community services.