TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida environmental officials are proposing that the state spend $122 million for 25,000 acres of agricultural land in southwestern Florida — and then lease it back to the landowners for free.
The governor and Cabinet on March 26 will consider the proposal and four other conservation purchases totaling $219 million.
The southwest Florida deal would use a lease-back provision created by the Legislature in 2023 for a portion of a 75,000-acre project championed by state Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R).
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Lawmakers revealed budget-implementing bill language toward the end of the legislative session that required land deals within the Caloosahatchee Big Cypress Corridor project to include lease-back offers.
