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Sources: State, U.S. Sugar Revise Everglades Deal

Tribune file photo by CHRIS URSO

Sugar cane fields can be seen on U.S. Sugar's Bryant Mills plant property Aug. 28.

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The Associated Press

Published: November 11, 2008

Florida has reached a tentative deal with U.S. Sugar to revise a proposed land buy meant to boost Everglades restoration, significantly lowering the initial $1.75 billion cost, two sources familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Monday.

The revised deal for a territory about the size of Chicago would mean the state will not buy the company's high-tech sugar mill, railroad lines and citrus processing plant, said the sources. However, the acreage involved wouldn't be significantly reduced.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details before Gov. Charlie Crist's scheduled announcement of the potential deal today.

Under the initial proposal, U.S. Sugar was set to go out of business after six years once the deal was signed. Now it's unclear how long the land will remain in agriculture since the new proposal calls for farming to be phased out over time as restoration projects are designed. That could mean the company - which has about 1,700 employees - will remain in business longer.

Farming in the region has long been considered a hindrance to restoring natural water flow to the Everglades, blocking flow patterns and contributing pollutants and fertilizers to the ecosystem.

The new proposal still requires the approval of the boards of U.S. Sugar and the South Florida Water Management District.

Crist's office did not return calls seeking comment, but released an advisory saying he would appear today.

U.S. Sugar Vice President Robert Coker had no comment.

The fundamentals of the agreement Crist announced in June have changed significantly over the ensuing months. At the time, the historic pact was lauded by many environmentalists as a boon for Everglades restoration.

Declaring the deal "as monumental as the creation of our nation's first national park," Crist said the state would take over all of U.S. Sugar's 187,000 acres, effectively putting the company out of business. However, a resolution to be discussed at a meeting of the South Florida Water Management District board on Thursday suggests the revised plan would take over 182,500 acres - or about 285 square miles.

The sources familiar with the deal said acreage subtracted from the initial deal includes land on which the company's assets sit.

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