Volusia Forever committee finds Lawson Road and Lake Diaz eligible for conservation review

The Volusia Forever Committee on March 20 found two applications eligible for further conservation consideration: the Lawson Road agricultural easement and the Lake Diaz fee-simple acquisition. Tim Telfer, Volusia Forever program staff, said Lawson Road was scored by staff 13 out of 19 (the threshold for advancement is 9) and is roughly 731 acres; the committee voted to find it eligible.

Hunter Falmer of Land Management described Lake Diaz as a fee-simple parcel of about 50 acres within the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Falmer said staff scored Lake Diaz 11 out of 21 (the minimum required is 10) and identified a non-exclusive, assignable access easement from State Road 11 to the property, noting there is no current public access. After committee questions about access, one member moved to find Lake Diaz eligible and Wanda Van Dam seconded; the committee approved the motion with one abstention.

Why it matters: Finding a property eligible allows staff to proceed to later steps (property reports, ranking and potential acquisition negotiations). Lawson Road’s staff score and large acreage place it as a significant agricultural easement candidate; Lake Diaz’s corridor designations (Longleaf Pine and Florida Wildlife Corridor) factor into partnership and funding potential.

Votes at a glance
- Lawson Road (agricultural easement): staff score 13/19; motion to find eligible — approved by voice vote. (Provenance: discussed beginning with Tim Telfer and found eligible during the eligibility roll call.)
- Lake Diaz (fee simple): staff score 11/21; motion to find eligible — approved with one abstention. Staff reported an access easement exists but no current public access; full easement terms will be detailed in the property report.

What’s next: Staff will prepare property reports and, when appropriate, bring ranking and any required county-council agenda items for further approvals.