The topic of allowing ATVs in Tiger Bay State Forest returned to the County Council agenda in a surprising move on Tuesday.
District 3 Councilman Danny Robins floated the idea of seeking support from the Florida Legislature to open a portion of the state forest to off-road recreation such as ATVs, and he received support from all council members except Speaker Jeff Brower .
The issue was raised during a discussion about the County Council’s Legislative Agenda 2025, which the council approved on Tuesday. One of the county’s top priorities is securing funding for Hurricane Milton recovery, especially for flood mitigation and drainage projects.
The legislative agenda was on the council agenda, but there was no mention of the Tiger Bay proposal in the package. Council members had the opportunity to discuss adding items to the legislative agenda.
Tiger Bay is managed by the Florida Forest Service and attempts over the years to open it to ATVs have been unsuccessful.
In December 2023, Robins raised the issue during closing remarks. There was no item on the agenda, but the council voted to send a letter to the Commissioner of Agriculture in support of the study of the possibility of opening part of the forest to all-terrain vehicles. Brower was against the idea.
A Florida Forest Service official responded via email saying the forest service did not support the request.
Around that time, Steve Wonderly, group president of the Volusia-Flagler Sierra Club, criticized the council’s decision to send a letter without any significant discussion on the subject having taken place. I was wonderfully opposed to having ATVs in the forest due to concerns about pollution, damage to the forest and disruption of the peace and quiet enjoyed by others at the location.
“I think the key point here is that when the council is considering matters, especially things that there is good reason to understand would be controversial, it is very important to let the public… express their views,” Wonderly said at the time.
A male Florida black bear yawns as he sits next to a road in Tiger Bay State Forest. News-Journal/Dinah Voyles Pulver
In a separate discussion, the council decided to seek public funding for two county projects: relocating the Emergency Medical Services headquarters and raising a portion of North Beach Street. The projects together cost more than $13.8 million and are funded in part with federal Hurricane Ian disaster recovery money. State funding would allow the county to use federal funds elsewhere.
Here are some other highlights from Tuesday’s meeting.
Evaluations delayed for district manager and attorney amid time limit
The County Council fought a new six-hour time limit on meetings, excluding a break, that the council instituted at the end of its Nov. 19 meeting. Things didn’t go smoothly on Tuesday. The council voted several times to extend the meeting and postponed several agenda items for efficiency reasons, including the annual performance evaluation of the district attorney and district manager.
“We can bring these meetings to a successful conclusion if we monitor ourselves,” said At-Large Representative Jake Johansson.
Ocean Center has ‘best year ever’
In his closing comments at the meeting, Troy Kent, council member and District 4 vice chairman, highlighted the achievements of the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach this year. He thanked Ocean Center General Manager Lynn Flanders for her efforts. She took on this role in November 2023. The County Council wants more events for local people, and the council has pumped more money into the facility for upgrades.
“Guess, we’ve made some real changes at the Ocean Center, and guess what? They had their best year ever,” Kent said.
As part of the Ocean Center’s 2024 Annual Report, Matt Reinhart, council member and chair of the District 2 Tourist Development Council, wrote that “the Ocean Center set a new benchmark by hosting 118 record-breaking events, attracting more than 513,000 guests and generated 88,000 room nights.”
According to the report, visitor numbers increased by approximately 16 percent by 2023. The Ocean Center’s efforts generated approximately $11.5 million in revenue, approximately 20% more than 2023.
This article originally appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Tiger Bay Forest ATV use on Volusia agenda before Florida Legislature
