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Environment Months ago, Florida OK'd giving 324 acres of state forest to golf course company The land swap, which still needs final approval, was separate from the controversial initiative embroiling Florida's environmental agency. A couple bikes an extension of Good Neighbor Trail, which runs from downtown Brooksville to Withlacoochee State Forest, in November 2018. In June, the Florida Cabinet approved a land swap deal that would give more than 300 acres of state forest land to a golf course company in exchange for roughly 800 acres of timberland. A couple bikes an extension of Good Neighbor Trail, which runs from downtown Brooksville to Withlacoochee State Forest, in November 2018. In June, the Florida Cabinet approved a land swap deal that would give more than 300 acres of state forest land to a golf course company in exchange for roughly 800 acres of timberland. [ Times (2018) ] By * Max ChesnesTimes staff * Emily L. MahoneyTimes staff Published 30 minutes ago The deafening, bipartisan uproar over the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's plans to add golf courses, hotels and more to nine state parks has rocked the state in the past week, causing one group behind the push to withdraw its proposal for Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County. But in June, months before those plans were unveiled, Florida's top officials approved a transfer of 324 acres of state forest land to a Hernando County golf course company in an effort separate from the Florida environmental agency's current state parks initiative. The company, Cabot Citrus OpCo LLC, already owns a luxury golf resort with several rolling emerald courses in Brooksville directly adjacent to the Withlacoochee State Forest parcel. It's the first American resort run by Cabot, a Canadian luxury golf course developer with courses from Bordeaux, France, to the Scottish Highlands to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. On its website, the company promises players in Brooksville that they'll be able to tee off among "pristine natural beauty." The company has also signaled it's expanding: Cabot Citrus Farms will soon have a sporting club and real estate for purchase, starting just under $1.8 million, its website states. Related: Florida agency says group behind state park golf course is withdrawing plan Gov. Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, acting as the Florida Cabinet, approved the swap of 324 acres of the Withlacoochee State Forest on June 12 after no discussion. The move granted the state permission to determine that the land is "no longer needed for conservation purposes." In return, Cabot Citrus agreed to give the state 861 acres of timberland in rural Levy County. The land swap still must be approved by a committee within Florida's environmental agency called the Acquisition and Restoration Council. DeSantis has multiple appointees on that council. Video of the Cabinet meeting shows Florida Department of Environmental Protection head Shawn Hamilton read off a brief statement about the land exchange before the Cabinet approves the deal. Hamilton makes no mention of Cabot or that the land the state is exchanging is state forest. The Florida Cabinet on June 12 approved swapping this 324-acre parcel of Withlacoochee State Forest for 861 acres of timberland in Levy County, according to state documents. The recipient of the land, Cabot Citrus OpCo LLC, has a bordering golf course in Brooksville. The Florida Cabinet on June 12 approved swapping this 324-acre parcel of Withlacoochee State Forest for 861 acres of timberland in Levy County, according to state documents. The recipient of the land, Cabot Citrus OpCo LLC, has a bordering golf course in Brooksville. [ Florida Department of Environmental Protection ] The revelations about the deal emerge as the state environmental agency finds itself mired in controversy about plans to make major changes to nine Florida state parks. The Tampa Bay Times reported Saturday that a veterans nonprofit called Folds of Honor had pitched the idea of a golf course on Jonathan Dickinson State Park to at least two county and state leaders, and had also previously met with DeSantis. By Sunday, the group behind the latest Jonathan Dickinson plans -- which lists the same address as Folds of Honor -- backed away from the proposal. Two Cabinet members, Simpson and Patronis, have both publicly opposed the new state park initiative. But both also approved the Hernando land swap deal in June. [] Keep up with Tampa Bay's top headlines Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter We'll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning. Loading... You're all signed up! Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let's get started. Explore all your options When asked why Simpson voted for the deal, his office sent a brief statement that only noted he voted for "the possibility of a land exchange" that still requires a vote of the Acquisition and Restoration Council. That same council would have to approve any broader proposed changes to the nine Florida state parks. Simpson has two appointees on that council. Patronis' office did not respond to an email asking about his vote at the June 12 meeting. The swap was also added to the Cabinet's agenda at the last minute. Five days before the meeting, aides at a pre-meeting conference discussed every land deal except the one with Cabot Citrus. The land swap with Cabot Citrus was then added to the agenda through a process normally only used in extenuating circumstances, like approving items before a natural disaster, according to Barbara Petersen, executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability. "Agencies can also use it when they don't want to give the public advanced notice of what they're going to do," Petersen told the Times. Related: DeSantis admin wants to put golf courses, pickleball courts and more in Florida state parks Several observers said the land swap was unusual. Eric Draper, who served as the director of Florida's state parks between 2017 and 2021, including under DeSantis, said giving up conservation land to expand a golf course is wrong. It also does not meet the voter-approved constitutional test of land being no longer needed for conservation, Draper said, nor was the public given adequate notice. "The Cabinet cannot get in the habit of swapping out valuable land for less-valuable land every time a developer shows up," Draper said. "In this case, the approval was fast-tracked and the environmental merits were not carefully evaluated. No appraisals were presented." The public land that would be given to Cabot Citrus is part of a contiguous wildlife corridor and was conserved to compensate for the environmental impacts of the Suncoast Parkway, Draper said. The land the company is offering in return is isolated from other conservation land, not on the state's land acquisition wish list and not part of a wildlife corridor. Ray Poynor, 61, of Odessa, right, holds a pickleball paddle along with Naomi Stracey, 14, left, of Tampa as drivers make their way into Honeymoon Island State Park during a rally Sunday in Dunedin. Ray Poynor, 61, of Odessa, right, holds a pickleball paddle along with Naomi Stracey, 14, left, of Tampa as drivers make their way into Honeymoon Island State Park during a rally Sunday in Dunedin. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ] "Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for public and business interests to look at conservation lands and see 'vacant' land that they think would make a good location for another use. That's why Florida has strong protections for its conservation lands, with a requirement that the state demonstrate that property is 'no longer needed for conservation' before it can be surplussed for other uses," said Julie Wraithmell, executive director of Audubon Florida. "The item from the June Cabinet agenda did not include the detail needed to make this determination and no doubt there will need to be a lot more information provided before (the Acquisition and Restoration Council) could even begin to consider any proposal for this parcel," Wraithmell said. Related: At Honeymoon Island State Park, urgency grows to defend 'the real Florida' When reached by phone Monday, a receptionist at Cabot Citrus Farms said the luxury golf resort offers two- and four-bedroom cottages and that the company plans to build homes along golf course fairways soon. Spokespeople for both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the governor's office did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Cabot Citrus did not respond to requests for comment about the land swap, including voicemails left with its two Tallahassee lobbyists. One of those lobbyists is Sydney Ridley, daughter of Fred Ridley, the chairperson of the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the annual Masters Tournament. In June, the Florida Cabinet approved this last-minute land swap for the state to give up more than 300 acres of state forest land to a golf course company in Brooksville. In June, the Florida Cabinet approved this last-minute land swap for the state to give up more than 300 acres of state forest land to a golf course company in Brooksville. [ Florida Department of Environmental Protection ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- * [] Max Chesnes is an environment and climate reporter, covering water quality, environmental justice and wildlife. Reach him at mchesnes@tampabay.com. * [] Emily L. Mahoney is the energy reporter. 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