Peter Schorsch
A proposal to have the state deed 600 acres of public land in the Guana River Wildlife Management Area of St. Johns County to a private company in exchange for 3,000 acres across five counties is officially dead.
In a letter first obtained by Florida Politics, Upland LLC withdrew its application for the land swap. The Acquisition and Restoration Council had scheduled it for consideration on Wednesday.
“While the applicant believes this 5-to-1 acre land swap would have been a net positive conservation benefit to the state of Florida, and the proposed swap represented .007% of the state lands at issue, the applicant is withdrawing the application due to public sentiment resulting from misinformation,” the letter reads.
The Upland LLC’s withdrawal comes after critics across the political spectrum thrashed the deal, alleging the 600-acre parcel would be home to a commercial or residential development. The letter comes a day after Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles called for the Acquisition and Restoration Council to vote down the “land grab.”
The Upland LLC has pushed back, assuring the public that the land would remain subject to state law requiring its continued conservation and that, even under private ownership, periodic research and monitoring check-ins would continue. The land is not actively managed currently, and The Upland LLC maintains that under its stewardship, it would have been better maintained.
Additionally, any future proposed use of the swapped property would have been subject to review and approval by local elected leaders.
The letter continues, “To be clear, there was never any intention to develop the acquired land for commercial or community development purposes. Rather, the swap would have resulted in additional acres for Florida land conservation.
“The applicant remains committed to preserving Florida’s natural habitat and supporting the State’s conservation efforts. In that regard, we look forward to continued conversations on the preferred method of preserving Florida’s conservation lands and how we may contribute to that critical goal.”
View the full letter below:
