After ‘alarming’ Guana land swap idea, Florida lawmaker files bill for more transparency

When Florida’s government unveiled a proposal this summer to trade 600 acres of a beloved St. Johns County wilderness preserve, Floridians of all political backgrounds felt blindsided.

Though the plan was scrapped after widespread protest, including from President Donald Trump’s chief of staff , questions remained about how an idea to give up land as precious as the Guana River Wildlife Management Area could be hatched outside the public eye.

Now, a Republican lawmaker is taking a first step to thwart the growing trend in state government that has shrouded recent land proposals in secrecy, including the Guana River ordeal.

State Rep. Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, filed a bill Tuesday that would require a month’s notice when the state considers selling or trading cons