Latest news with #TheUpland
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Johns residents score victory by defeating Guana land swap, but say fight isn't over
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. '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 After 50,000 petitions were signed in opposition, news broke Monday evening The Upland, LLC had withdrawn its proposal, which had been set to go before the state Acquisition and Restoration Council later this week. PREVIOUS STORY: 'Terrifying': Guana land swap protests continue with questions about private company involved 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. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] '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. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 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. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Guana land swap proposal withdrawn following widespread backlash
State Representative Kim Kendall, R-St. Augustine, confirms The Upland, LLC has withdrawn its application for the proposed land swap that would have transferred 600 acres in the Guana River Wildlife Management Area into private hands. Action News Jax has obtained the following letter from Upland's representative, which was sent to the state Department of Environmental Protection deputy secretary announcing the withdrawal. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] News about the proposed land swap brought swift condemnation from national state and local leaders. The plan called for trading the 600 acres in the northeast corner of St. Johns County, where the Guana River Wildlife Management Area sits, for more than 3,000 acres along the Florida Wildlife Corridor in various parts of the state. Even White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a resident of nearby Ponte Vedra, spoke out condemning the land swap in the Jacksonville Tributary. In the letter, a representative for The Upland LLC said there was 'never any intention to develop the acquired land for commercial or community development purposes.' Instead, it claims the deal would have resulted in additional conservation land for Florida, and the backlash was fueled by 'misinformation.' St. Johns County Commissioner Sarah Arnold says local leaders planned to pressure the Governor and Cabinet, who would have ultimately determined whether to approve the trade. 'I would say the same thing we said with the state parks argument, parks are for people,' Arnold told Action News Jax earlier Monday. 'This land, this conservation land is for the residents of this county and this state.' [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
