Florida's River of Grass Land Acquisition

Florida's River of Grass Land Acquisition was an effort spearheaded by the administration of Florida governor Charlie Crist. Initially, Crist announced an acquisition of 187,000 acres located south of Lake Okeechobee from the U.S. Sugar Corporation for a purchase price of $1.75 billion, which was approved by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) in December 2008. This represented all of U.S. Sugar Corporation's lands. However, by August 2010, the proposal was reduced to 14% of its original size, to 26,800 acres for a purchase price of $197 million. The goal of the purchase is Everglades restoration, to be achieved by removing land from sugarcane and citrus production and by using that land to move, store, and treat water flowing south to the Everglades and eventually to Florida Bay.

Opposition to the Purchase
When the initial agreement was made, SFWMD planned to pay for it with "the sale of bonds issued by SFWMD, which would be repaid from a portion of the property taxes collected by the 16 counties that comprise SFWMD. Under Florida law, these bonds are subject to judicial review to determine whether they serve a “valid public purpose.”"


 * "Since late 2008, opponents have filed objections in state court to the bonds initially issued by SFWMD. These opponents claim that SFWMD did not have authority to finance the transaction because the acquisition is not a “valid public purpose.” A major sugar producing firm, Florida Crystals, has argued that the purchase gives an unfair advantage to its main competitor at taxpayer expense. Additionally, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, whose reservation lies south of U.S. Sugar lands, has argued that SFWMD is not financially able to meet the terms of the deal, which does not provide public benefits in the form of Everglades restoration. Supporters, including SFWMD and some environmental groups, argue that the land acquisition is in the public interest and will contribute significantly toward ecosystem restoration goals. On April 7, 2010, the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments from all sides on the opponents’ appeal of an earlier court ruling that limits the amount of bonds the District could issue."

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Sugarcane
 * Sugarcane Production in Florida
 * U.S. Sugar Corporation
 * Charlie Crist
 * Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
 * River of Grass
 * Lake Okeechobee
 * South Florida Water Management District

External Resources

 * Charles V. Stern, Pervaze A. Sheikh, and Remy Jurenas, "Everglades Restoration and the River of Grass Land Acquisition," Congressional Research Service, August 25, 2010.

External Articles

 * Don Van Natta Jr. and Damien Cave, "Deal to Save Everglades May Help Sugar Firm," New York Times, March 7, 2010.
 * Damien Cave, "Everglades Restoration Plan Shrinks," New York Times, April 1, 2009.