Florida to buy 20,000 acres in Everglades, largest purchase in 10 years

Gov. Ron Desantis announced a plan to buy 20,000 acres of land in the Everglades currently slated for oil and gas drilling from the Kanter family this year, Florida’s largest land acquisition in a decade. [Florida Governor’s Office] FORT LAUDERDALE — A swath of land in the Everglades at the center of a fight between a family determined to drill for oil and a constellation of parties urging them not to might finally have a new future. The state intends to buy the 20,000 acre tract outright and halt the threat of oil drilling on the protected lands near Broward County’s western suburbs, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday. The seller, a Miami family who made their fortunes in real estate, won the right to drill for oil on their land last year, despite opposition from the state. If the sale goes through, it’ll be the largest state land acquisition in a decade. Newsart graphic: [PAUL ALEXANDER | -] “This will permanently save the land from oil production,” DeSantis said. “With this acquisition, there will be nearly 600,000 acres of wetlands in Water Conservation Area Three that will be protected by public ownership for recreation and restoration.” The Kanter family […]

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