Ryan Nicol
Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state plans to purchase land in the Everglades that was scheduled to be used for oil drilling.
Kanter Real Estate owns that land, which covers a 150-mile area between Miami and Fort Myers. The Kanter family had planned to use the land to drill for oil despite efforts by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to block the required permits.
After an administrative judge ruled in Kanter’s favor, DeSantis said the state sought an alternative to block those drilling efforts: buying the land outright.
“We have reached a deal to purchase 20,000 acres of land in the Everglades that is currently slated for oil production,” DeSantis said Wednesday during a news conference at Everglades Holiday Park.
“This will permanently save the land from oil production.”
DeSantis said the area is home to 60 endangered species as well. The Governor was joined by DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein in announcing the purchase plan Wednesday.
“We haven’t seen a land acquisition like this in more than a decade,” Valenstein said.
“This is guaranteeing that the heart of the Everglades is under public ownership and secure for future generations.”
The Secretary described the purchase plan as an option agreement that is open for 75 days.
Valenstein said the deal has “a purchase price of $16.56 million if we’re able to secure it in a short period of time, reaching up to an option price of $18 million through the year.”
He says the funds will either come out of the DEP’s bucket of available money, such as Florida Forever funds. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) may also help contribute to the financing.
SFWMD Governing Board Chair Chauncey Goss joined Wednesday’s news conference as well and praised the Governor’s move.
“This is a great day for Florida’s Everglades,” Goss said.
“This is a really bold action to stop oil and gas drilling in one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world. This is an announcement that is going to be recognized nationally and internationally as an important step in restoring our Everglades.”
DeSantis said he was motivated to make the purchase in part to protect progress on Everglades restoration under his administration.
“My thing is, we’re putting all this effort in there. I don’t want some type of accident causing all these problems and then putting us backwards.”
Several environmental groups also praised the Governor’s decision Wednesday.
“We applaud Governor DeSantis for his swift action in protecting these lands,” said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation.
“This is yet another demonstration of his commitment to restoring America’s Everglades and ensuring that we achieve more now for Florida’s environment.”
Diana Umpierre, the Sierra Club Everglades Restoration Organizing Representative also added a statement supporting the move.
“”This is welcome news. We are happy the state has taken steps to acquire the Kanter property within the Everglades Protection Area. This is an important purchase to protect the Everglades and the drinking water of millions of people. “
4 comments
Paula
January 15, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Happy to hear that.
Thank you, Governor DeSantis.
Next, please tell the Florida legislature to leave local communities alone. Local voices and local choices! Removing local control over short-term rentals is a HUGE mistake. Please tell Diaz and Fischer to remove their bills from consideration.
Sean Johnson
January 15, 2020 at 3:13 pm
Thank you Governor DeSantis for your commitment to our environment, and thank you Paula for your comments about short term rentals (this also relates to our environment). The legislature’s years long effort to take away local control over short term rentals needs to be stopped. Survey after survey shows that residents do not want control over their neighborhoods to revert to the State (which has neither the manpower nor the desire to exercise such control). Survey after survey commissioned by the short term rental industry shows different results – but why? It is because they ask leading questions).
Governor DeSantis, please help us and stop this. Let the residents (and voters) control their own lives, and do not turn their neighborhoods over to short term rental investors (who generally are not even Florida residents.
Harold Finch
January 15, 2020 at 9:17 pm
Those Jackasses (DeSantis and Valenstine) got completely dupped costing Florida Taxpayers millions. The Kanter’s never intended to drill, they were using that as a way to suck the state into buying swampland for a premium price. And it worked!! What a bunch of idiots!!!
Cynthia Gurin
January 15, 2020 at 9:24 pm
How LONG has the Kanter family owned that land?
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