Advisory committee votes to recommend rescinding $600,000 ECHO grant for D Ranch Preserve

The Volusia County ECHO Advisory Committee voted to recommend that county council rescind a previously awarded environmental-construction grant for the D Ranch Preserve and Nature Center after staff said the projectE2s existing metal building cannot be adapted to meet building-code and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

Daniel Marsh, ECHO manager, told the committee that Conservation FloridaE2s engineer concluded the pre-existing metal building "could not be used for the scope of the project" and that the structure would need to be demolished and replaced by new construction. Marsh said that constitutes a fundamentally different scope from what was submitted and funded in the original application.

Staff said the original 2025 award (grant number 25-17) was for about $600,000. Marsh recommended the advisory committee recommend rescinding the full award so the organization may, if it chooses, reapply in a future cycle with an amended scope.

A representative for Conservation Florida (identified in the meeting as Ben) was present and staff said Conservation Florida expects to reapply in a subsequent cycle. After brief discussion and a clarifying exchange on county-attorney coordination about release and termination of the grant agreement and restrictive covenant, a member moved to recommend the recision to county council; a second was recorded and the motion carried by voice vote.

The advisory committeeE2s action was a recommendation to county council; any formal termination or release of grant covenants requires county-council action and coordination with the county attorneyE2s office.