A golf developer who once looked for land in the forests of Florida could add to it instead

Last summer, luxury golf course developers were aiming to acquire more than 300 acres of state forest land.

State officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, had given early approval for the proposed land exchange.

But about a year later, both the developers and the state are poised to do 180 after a public backlash urged Cabot Citrus Farm to abandon the deal.

Cabot Citrus currently offers close to 340 acres of forest for the state to purchase for protection. The new proposal was included on the agenda of a public meeting posted online Tuesday night.

Desantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson will discuss and vote on the purchase at the Florida Cabinet Meeting on June 10th.

It is not yet clear how much the state will pay for the land, as it still needs to be evaluated. However, the Cabinet’s proposal on the agenda points out that prices “do not exceed the approved value.”

If the cabinet votes in favor next week, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Director Alexis Lambert will need to approve the proposal. Cabot Citrus Farm was also able to disapprove of the valued value of the state’s land and move away from potential sales.

Julie Raismell, executive director of Audubon, Florida, said the group was “pleasant to see it being “before destined for a development that was previously adjacent to the withlacoochee State Forest.”

In the agenda item, the state highlights the ecological significance of Brooksville Ridge’s habitat, and was considering replacing it last year.

The property is “in a landscape that is experiencing escalating pressures due to the expansion of nearby suburban population centres,” the proposal reads. Specifically, the proposal states that the property is within the area where the housing is scheduled and therefore is under development threat.

Cabot Citrus Farms is the first American resort run by Cabot, a Canadian luxury golf course developer with high-end regional courses such as Bordeaux, France and The Scottish Highlands. It is building a multi-million dollar home at Hernando County Resort.

The land the state acquires from Cabot’s citrus fruits favors the last large area of ​​Longleaf Pine Sand Hill in Florida, a unique forest of northern hardwood trees, and many archaeological sites,” the item reads.

A spokesman for Cabot Citrus and a Florida Department of Environmental Protection did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment.

The proposal points out that rare and ordered species that call the land home, such as Florida Black Bear, Eastern Indigo Snakes, Gopher Turtles and giant orchids living in vulnerable Sandhill, are seeing conservation.

Florida Indigenous Plant Association Chairman Eugene Kelly said that if the transaction is completed, he will go from “to celebrate from surprise.”

A local in Brooksville he is very familiar with the land of the withlacoochee national forest where the state had proposed a deal.

“I was really worried because it looked like the public land was under full-scale attack,” Kelly said.

The land acquired by the state is home to Bellflowers in Brooksville, featuring radiant purple petals. Its habitat continues to shrink, and putting more land on public ownership is an important tool to ensure its protection, he said.

“It’s great news and I hope they approve it.”

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