A forum to discuss current and future issues in land management will be held from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at UCF’s Daytona Beach Regional Campus.

Hosted by the Walter and Betty Boardman Foundation, Land Preservation and Restoration: Conflicts will feature a panel discussion and audience Q&A. The event will be held in building 150, auditorium 101.

The panel will explore land management in Florida, as well as the economic impact of eco-tourism and common misconceptions the public has about land management. Panel members include:

  • Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida
  • Henry Dean, attorney and past executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District
  • Pat Northey, Volusia County councilwoman
  • Rob Christianson, director of the Division of Operations and Resources for St. Johns River Water Management District and the South Florida Water Management District
  • John Waldron, executive director of the Florida Outdoor Recreation Coalition

    • “Public lands have always been a treasure in Volusia County and across our state,” said local environmentalist Reid Hughes, who also serves as a board member for the Boardman Foundation. “Recent policy decisions and new challenges for land managers have caused environmentalists and members of the general public to be concerned, and this panel will discuss some of those issues.”

    The Walter and Betty Boardman Foundation awards grants for environmental and natural resource research and studies pertaining to Volusia County and the land surrounding it.