The proposed land swap that could have transferred 600 acres of land in the Guana Wildlife Management Area may have been defeated, but those who fought the last-minute proposal say the battle isn’t over.
For the second time in as many years, the residents of St. Johns County celebrated the defeat of a plan they feared would lead to the development of conservation lands on Tuesday.
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“It’s beautiful and it’s just so peaceful, but I don’t know why anyone would try to take it away,” St. Johns resident Aiden Rumrell said.
After 50,000 petitions were signed in opposition, news broke Monday evening The Upland, LLC had withdrawn its proposal, which had been set to go before the state Acquisition and Restoration Council later this week.
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The company credited “misinformation” generating public backlash for its decision to scrap its plans.
“There was never any intention to develop the acquired land for commercial or community development purposes,” wrote an attorney representing The Upland, LLC in the withdrawal letter sent to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
When asked about the land swap Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis distanced his administration from the plan.
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“It was not initiated by DEP, it was initiated by a private landowner,” DeSantis said.
Even with the land swap dead, State Representative Kim Kendall (R-St. Augustine) said she believes it exposed a loophole in a 2016 law regulating land swaps and newly passed legislation that would prohibit the development of recreational amenities like golf courses and hotels in state parks.
“In my opinion, this was a workaround,” Kendall said.
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Kendall said she’s committed to sponsoring new legislation going forward to ensure another proposal like this one never sees the light of day.
“And I assure you, I’m not somebody who sits around and eats bonbons. I am focused. This will be one of my seven bills. We will button up as much as we can to have this not happen,” Kendall said.
Beyond possible future legislation, Kendall said her goal is to work out a way for the state to purchase the 104 acres currently owned by The Upland, LLC in Guana, to stifle any future effort by the company to expand its footprint in the wildlife management area.
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