A private company in Florida rescinded a proposal to swap thousands of acres of land in exchange for a portion of the Guana River Wildlife Management Area after the deal stoked controversy in the Sunshine State.
The deal would have given Upland 600 acres of land within the wildlife management area. In exchange, the company would have given the state 3,000 acres of land, including 2,000 acres to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a network of millions of acres of parks, wildlife management areas, and forests.
However, the deal was pulled on Monday after receiving intense criticism from Floridians angry that a portion of the sensitive ecosystem would be affected by the proposal. President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Florida resident Susie Wiles, became one of the most influential voices in the state to come out against the proposal on Sunday, blasting it as a “land grab … [that] is outrageous and completely contrary to what our community desires.”
The following day, a lawyer for Upland announced the deal had been axed.
“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,” Gary Hunter Jr., of the Holtzman Vogel law firm, wrote to Bryan Bradner, the Department of Environmental Protection’s deputy secretary, according to Florida Politics.
“To be clear, there was never any intention to develop the acquired land for commercial or community development purposes,” he added. “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.”
The announcement came just days before members of the Acquisition and Restoration Council were set to vote on the deal. The committee was expected to review the proposal and make a recommendation on Wednesday, after which Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) would have made the final decision.
The deal attracted significant blowback in St. Johns County, where the wetlands are located, and from lawmakers across the state, including Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).
Critics feared the land would be developed.
“It appears they want to do some sort of development. That’s the way it looks.”
Upland maintained the lands would not have been developed, saying they would remain subject to state law “requiring its continued conservation and that, even under private ownership, periodic research and monitoring check-ins would continue,” per Florida Politics.
“The land is not actively managed currently, and The Upland LLC maintains that under its stewardship, it would have been better maintained,” according to the company.
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State Rep. Kim Kendall celebrated after the deal was killed.
“This is a major victory for our community, our environment, and for the future of Florida’s natural treasures,” she said. “Thank you to everyone who signed petitions, sent emails, and raised their voices — your efforts made all the difference. This was truly a team effort, and I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished together.”
