PALATKA, Fla., Nov. 12, 2002 — The St. Johns River Water Management District’s GoverningBoard voted today to buy 841 acres of environmentally significant landin Volusia County.
The Smith parcel,situated about one mile north of State Road 44 and five miles east ofDeLand, links the Volusia Conservation Corridor and Tiger Bay State Forest.The entire property lies within a priority water resource caution areaand is considered to be a regionally significant habitat, according tothe District’s Local Government Water Resources Atlas.
The Board voted unanimouslyto buy the land for $589,000 using Florida Department of Transportationmitigation funds.
"This land purchaseis part of a larger assemblage of conservation lands throughout centralVolusia County, which is important for water resource protection,”said Governing Board member Ann Moore of Bunnell. “It’s importantto protect these lands for their numerous flood protection, water qualityand wetland habitat benefits."
The District is responsiblefor protecting wetlands, waterways and drinking water supplies in allor part of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, IndianRiver, Lake, Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Putnam,St. Johns, Seminole and Volusia counties.
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