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n a move described as “the Louisiana Purchase for the Everglades,” one of the largest landowners in the Everglades Agricultural Area has agreed to enter negotiations with the state of Florida to sell and vacate 187,000 acres of land by 2015. Environmental advocates hope that state ownership of the land south of Lake Okeechobee will make possible the restoration of a continuous “flowway” for water through the Everglades. United States Sugar Corp., Clewiston, Fla., will negotiate with the South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, to sell all its land for about $1.75 billion. U.S. Sugar will continue farming for six more years, after which construction of new water treatment and storage projects could begin on the land.
n a move described as “the Louisiana Purchase for the Everglades,” one of the largest landowners in the Everglades Agricultural Area has agreed to enter negotiations with the state of Florida to sell and vacate 187,000 acres of land by 2015. Environmental advocates hope that state ownership of the land south of Lake Okeechobee will make possible the restoration of a continuous “flowway” for water through the Everglades. United States Sugar Corp., Clewiston, Fla., will negotiate with the South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, to sell all its land for about $1.75 billion. U.S. Sugar will continue farming for six more years, after which construction of new water treatment and storage projects could begin on the land.
