Editor, The Beacon:

We want to extend our thanks to reporter Chasidy Ruth for the excellent article covering the possible conservation easement on approximately 500 acres in DeLeon Springs. On behalf of the DSCA, Inc. I spoke before the Volusia Forever Advisory Committee in 2021 at the request of our members to request that they specifically preserve lands within the US Hwy. 17/Hwy. 40/Hwy. 11 area due to their value as water recharge areas within our Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) for protection of DeLeon Springs. This area is a significant wildlife corridor, and it also falls within the Florida Forever Long Leaf Pine Preserve.

In May 2024, we learned that DSCA, Inc. member Randy Dye had advocated on our community’s behalf with Vanacore Holdings, LLC, owner of an environmentally unique property along Blackwelder Road, persuading them to place a conservation easement over their land, in essence giving up their rights to develop that property as a residential subdivision. This is timely because a large portion of Lake Dias already has housing around it and Vanacore Holdings, LLC is well within their rights to develop this property, after spending several million dollars to purchase it.

Randy Dye and I both spoke before the Volusia Forever Committee on May 31, 2024, in favor of placing a conservation easement over this acreage, and the committee voted unanimously to forward the proposal to purchase the development rights, to the next step in the process. We have a long way to go before this purchase becomes a reality, but the DSCA, Inc. is committed to continuing to advocate with Volusia Forever and the Volusia County Council to move quickly to secure these development rights, protecting this unique wildlife corridor, longleaf pine preserve, and the watershed here in DeLeon Springs.

We want to thank Randy Dye and Vanacore Holdings, LLC for seeing the incredible legacy value of this property, for all of Volusia County. And we also want to thank West Volusia Beacon reporter Chasidy Ruth for taking time to actually visit this property, get the facts straight and cover this wonderful story that has positive implications for all of us as Volusia County residents.

Thank you,
Amy K. Munizzi
Deleon Springs