Lawmakers question proposal to buy land
MIAMI (AP) – Lawmakers from Miami-Dade County are raising their concerns over the state’s proposal to buy land from the nation’s largest producer of cane sugar for Evergldes restoration.
Under the contract approved this week, Florida would buy 180,000 acres from U.S. Sugar for $1.34 billion. But Rep. Juan Zapata says lawmakers were “extremely concerned” about making the deal when the state was in the midst of an economic crisis and cutting serivices to citizens.
A briefing will be held Wednesday to discuss any objections.
The South Florida Water Management District is scheduled to vote on the contract Tuesday.
Officials want the land to clean water and restore natural flow to the Everglades, long polluted by farming and development.