Land purchase finalized to prevent Everglades oil drilling

A deal to prevent oil drilling in the Everglades was finalized Monday, with the state of Florida’s purchase of land from a family that had obtained permits for an exploratory well.

The state paid $16.56 million for 20,000 acres in western Broward County owned by the Kanter family of Miami, whose drilling plan had ignited fierce opposition among environmentalists and nearby

Joseph Kanter, a banker and real estate developer, bought the land during mid-20th-century South Florida building boom, with the intention of building a new city. But the land lay well inside the Everglades, and construction never took place.

The family proposed an exploratory well in 2015, leading to a series of legal battles. Although the family

cities. won, significant obstacles remained, since Broward County strongly opposed the project and controlled the issuance of several permits and any necessary zoning changes.

“This is a bittersweet moment for our family,” John Kanter, Joseph Kanter’s son, said in a statement. “Having owned this property for nearly six decades there are so many memories for me and my siblings about our father, and lessons he taught us growing up.”

“We put forward a reasonable and environmentally responsible plan for limited development on the land that would have had negligible impacts. The courts agreed with us, but it was not to be.”

The South Florida Water Management District, the state agency that manages much of the Everglades, took title to the land.

“This unique property is now in the hands of public stewards who will assure its preservation for generations to come, just as we would have, ” Kanter said.

Matthew Schwartz, executive director of the South Florida Wildlands Association, one of the leaders of the fight against the drilling plan, expressed satisfaction that it was finally dead.

“This part of the Broward Everglades is home to numerous endangered and threatened wildlife species and is used by South Floridians for a variety of outdoor recreational activities,” he said. “It supplies water to Everglades National Park and is also a part of the Biscayne Aquifer, a sole source aquifer for millions of South Floridians. This was a long time coming and we’re very happy to see this project finally being put to rest.”