May 5, 2026
The Volusia County Council unanimously approved a $20.1 million purchase of 1,299 acres of environmentally sensitive land in the southern part of the county on Tuesday, May 5.
The acquisition of the River Bend Ranch property at 1411 Osteen Maytown Road in Osteen will be funded using funds from Volusia Forever, the county’s voter-approved land conservation program. According to a county staff report, the property met 18 of the 21 evaluation criteria for Volusia Forever land acquisition, marking it as the highest-scoring property on its priority list.
The property is located next to the county-owned 1,385-acre Deering Preserve at Deep Creek, meaning a total of 2,684 acres of land will be conserved in a contiguous area.
It also includes about 2 miles of frontage along the St. Johns River and 1.3 miles of frontage along Deep Creek. Purchasing the property will conserve about 561 acres of wetland for floodplain protection.
Read the full article: https://www.observerlocalnews.com/news/2026/may/05/volusia-county-council-oks-201-million-volusia-forever-purchase-in-osteen/