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Acquisition of Florida Power and Light Company Lands in the East Everglades Expansion Area
Everglades National Park » Acquisition of Florida Power and Light Company Lands in the East Everglades Expansion Area » Document List
January 2017 Update: The National Park Service (NPS) & Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) land exchange was completed on November 14, 2016. The exchange culminated years of negotiations, including an extensive NEPA analysis. Acquisition of the FPL parcel will allow the NPS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to raise water levels in the East Everglades Expansion Area (EEEA), a critical component of long-term Everglades Restoration.
NPS Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin signed a Record of Decision (ROD) on March 16, 2016, approving the acquisition of FPL's 320 acre, 7.4 mile corridor within the EEEA in exchange for a 260 acre parcel of federal property located along the eastern edge of Everglades National Park. The ROD can be accessed in the Document List at the left side of this page.
The land exchange was identified as the "NPS preferred alternative" in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the acquisition of the FPL property that was released for public review on December 3, 2015. The FPL parcel was purchased by FPL in the 1960s and early 1970s, prior to the park's expansion, with the intention of supporting future power transmission lines. The NPS lands conveyed in exchange for the FPL parcel consists of about 260 acres along 6.5 miles of the eastern boundary of the EEEA. The NPS also conveyed a 90-foot-wide perpetual nonnative vegetation management easement to FPL adjacent to the entire length of the exchange corridor.
The land exchange is subject to terms and conditions contained in the Final Land Exchange Agreement executed by NPS and FPL on March 21, 2016. For example, the United States will have the perpetual right to flood and submerge the exchange corridor, consistent with hydrologic restoration requirements. In addition, FPL shall reconvey to the NPS all acreage in the exchange corridor that is determined to be unneeded by FPL to build transmission lines in accordance with the State of Florida final certification order related to transmission line siting. The Final Land Exchange Agreement can be accessed in the Document List at the left side of this page.
Thank you for your interest in Everglades National Park.
Pedro M. Ramos
Superintendent
Chief, Planning and Compliance
Everglades National Park
305-242-7717
brien_culhane@nps.gov
NPS Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin signed a Record of Decision (ROD) on March 16, 2016, approving the acquisition of FPL's 320 acre, 7.4 mile corridor within the EEEA in exchange for a 260 acre parcel of federal property located along the eastern edge of Everglades National Park. The ROD can be accessed in the Document List at the left side of this page.
The land exchange was identified as the "NPS preferred alternative" in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the acquisition of the FPL property that was released for public review on December 3, 2015. The FPL parcel was purchased by FPL in the 1960s and early 1970s, prior to the park's expansion, with the intention of supporting future power transmission lines. The NPS lands conveyed in exchange for the FPL parcel consists of about 260 acres along 6.5 miles of the eastern boundary of the EEEA. The NPS also conveyed a 90-foot-wide perpetual nonnative vegetation management easement to FPL adjacent to the entire length of the exchange corridor.
The land exchange is subject to terms and conditions contained in the Final Land Exchange Agreement executed by NPS and FPL on March 21, 2016. For example, the United States will have the perpetual right to flood and submerge the exchange corridor, consistent with hydrologic restoration requirements. In addition, FPL shall reconvey to the NPS all acreage in the exchange corridor that is determined to be unneeded by FPL to build transmission lines in accordance with the State of Florida final certification order related to transmission line siting. The Final Land Exchange Agreement can be accessed in the Document List at the left side of this page.
Thank you for your interest in Everglades National Park.
Pedro M. Ramos
Superintendent
Contact Information
Brien F. CulhaneChief, Planning and Compliance
Everglades National Park
305-242-7717
brien_culhane@nps.gov