ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — An initiative to exchange conservation land may soon result in changes to state legislation.

In response to last year’s controversial Guana River Preserve land swap proposal in St. Johns County, State House Representative Kim Kendall has introduced a bill focused on implementing more protective measures for such deals.

“Once you actually get back there, the world drops away,” expressed Shephard Rigby as he surveyed the Guana River Preserve.

Rigby, often accompanied by his dog Sadie, has frequently visited the Guana River Preserve.

When a developer suggested exchanging approximately 3,000 acres from different areas of Florida for 600 acres of the preserve last May, Rigby and thousands of others raised their voices in opposition.

“If you spend just two to four hours here in a day, it will take zero convincing on whether or not it’s worth saving,” said Rigby. 

State Representative Kim Kendall says more than 50,000 people signed a petition to prevent the land swap, and she did her part to bring attention to the issue among her fellow lawmakers.

“I call it the code red button that will email every single representative and their district staff in one button,” said Kendall. “That is the only time. I hope I never have to use it again.”

Although the developer eventually pulled the deal off the table, Kendall thought it was a good time to take a look at the state law on land swaps.

“There were two very obvious areas that whether it’s a bad land swap, or even a good land swap, needed to be addressed,” said Kendall. 

She drafted a bill to change a few things on the protocol:

1 – Increase the public notice from seven days to 30 days.

2 – More transparency with which parcels are swapped, how much will still be conserved, an appraisal and an analysis conducted by the state as to why the swap would be a benefit posted before any meetings to vote.

“We need to make sure our public voices and local voices are heard,” said Kendall. 

Kendall’s bill passed through its first committee unanimously as it works its way to the House floor.

In the meantime, Rigby and Sadie can snag a paddle board to take on the Guana River to get away for a while.

“This deserves protection,” said Rigby.