VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The National Coastal Resilience Fund has awarded Volusia County a $2.5 million grant to help with coastal restoration projects like protecting habitats by planting vegetation.

What You Need To Know

  • Volusia County is getting $2.5 million from the National Coastal Resilience Fund
  • The money will fund projects like protecting habitats by planting vegetation
  • The county says the vegetative planting will go hand in hand with the Volusia coastal division’s upcoming sand placement projects
  • This grant will also enable staff to engage with and educate beachside communities about the importance of large-scale coastal resilience efforts

Volusia County resident Melissa Lammers said it’s her duty as a board member for Halifax River Audubon to advocate for the beaches. 

“The beach can heal itself, but the beaches in Volusia County are all constrained by man-made structures that don’t let the beach ebb and flow as it naturally will,” she said. 

Lammers said recovery takes time, and she sees the grant as an opportunity for growth.   

“At some point during the short term, we probably have to nourish our beaches," she said. "That’s putting sand back on the beach, trying to mimic nature as best as we can while also moving the most vulnerable structures off the barrier island.” 

Vegetative planting will go hand-in-hand with the Volusia Coastal Division’s upcoming sand placement projects, which county leaders say are scheduled to begin early next year.

The grant will also enable staff to engage with and educate beachside communities about the importance of large-scale coastal resilience efforts, officials said.

A YouTube video produced by Volusia County is available online for anyone seeking more information on the county's beaches.