TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A proposed state land swap that fueled bipartisan opposition was withdrawn Monday by the applicant, who insisted the deal would be good for Florida.
Details: The Department of Environmental Protection posted on its website late Monday the proposal to swap 600 acres along the Guana River in St. Johns County had been taken off a state land council agenda.
Gary Hunter, a lawyer representing The Upland LLC, said in a letter to DEP the applicant was withdrawing its proposal “due to public sentiment resulting from disinformation.”
“To be clear, there was never any intention to develop the acquired land for commercial or community development purposes,” Hunter wrote. “Rather the swap would have resulted in additional acres for Florida land conservation.”
