What happens when you own precious property that other people covet? You negotiate. That's what last night's public meeting at FIU was about - land ownership in certain areas of the Everglades. Right now, Florida Power and Light owns an 8.5 square-mile area, and the National Park Service is trying to get it back.
They have laid out five different ways to acquire the land. Steve Scroggs is the Senior Director of Florida Power and Light. He says the company is willing to agree on an exchange."That alternative provides the park with a net 60-acre gain, moves FPL out of the park, and does so at little or no cost, leaving money available for other environmental projects", Scroggs said. "We think that is a good deal in a practical world where you do have to appreciate the realities of landownership and landowner’s rights."
The National Park Service won’t make a decision on how to proceed until December of this year.