BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday the state has reached a deal to purchase 20,000 acres of land in the Florida Everglades that is currently slated for oil production.
“We’ll permanently save the land from oil production,” DeSantis said during an announcement at Everglades Holiday Park.
DeSantis said it will be the largest wetland acquisition in a decade.
The land, which is part of the Everglades Protection Area in Broward County, is home to more than 60 endangered and threatened species, including the wood stork.
DeSantis said the state has secured an option agreement with Kanter Real Estate LLC, which had obtained approval for exploratory oil wells in the Everglades, to move forward on the purchase in the next 75 days.
The price tag for the land is $16.56 million, with an option price up to $18 million.