Audubon Florida is sounding the alarm over a newly disclosed proposal by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to swap part of the Guana River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for parcels located elsewhere in the state — a move the group says could open the door to development on long-protected conservation land.
The proposal surfaced late Wednesday, when DEP posted the agenda for a previously unannounced meeting of the state’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC), scheduled for May 21.
The agenda revealed a single unexpected item, according to Audobon Florida: the potential trade of “a choice piece of state-owned real estate” in the Guana River WMA in exchange for a mix of other properties throughout Florida.
Audubon, along with other conservation advocates, expressed concern about both the content of the proposal and the process by which it was released.
The group described the agenda item as “light on details” and criticized the short notice provided to the public ahead of next week’s meeting.
According to Audubon, the parcel in question includes wetlands and uplands. While the agenda notes the wetlands would be “avoided,” the organization said that this language indicates an intent to develop the uplands.
Audubon says this raises the possibility of construction projects — such as housing or a golf course — that could impact the broader conservation landscape.
The organization noted that Florida taxpayers have invested significantly in restoring the Guana River WMA over the last 30 years. The land provides habitat for species such as the gopher tortoise and is a popular recreational destination for hunting and hiking.
Audubon also raised concerns about the potential impact of development on Guana Lake, which is designated an Outstanding Florida Waterway. The group warned that stormwater runoff from any new development could degrade water quality and disrupt current uses, including waterfowl hunting.
Audubon cautioned that changing the land use could make it more difficult to apply prescribed fire to adjacent conservation areas, including Guana State Park and the Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve — a key tool in maintaining the ecological health of these lands.
While the proposed swap would reportedly provide five new acres for every acre given up, Audubon emphasized that the state has not demonstrated that the Guana parcel is “no longer needed for conservation purposes,” a legal requirement for disposing of conservation lands.
“Florida’s conservation lands are not held in trust for the public simply until a developer wants them,” Audubon stated in its alert.
The organization is urging the ARC to reject the proposal outright and is calling on members of the public to voice their opinion ahead of the May 21 meeting.
