Thursday, May 22, 2025

Investigate Guana land swap proposal: my request to FDLE and FDEP Inspector General. (May 22, 2025 Ed Savin request)

 To: 

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Executive Investigations &
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Inspector General 

Good afternoon:

1. Would you please be so kind as to initiate a civil, criminal and administrative investigation of the Guana land swap proposal?  Please have FDLE and FDEP OIG Special Agents call me to discuss today.
2. Please investigate the organizations, individuals, corporations, lawyers and FDEP staff who empowered this outrageous proposal.  
3. Please make recommendations for legislative changes to prevent future recurrences. 
4. Please take sworn witness statements from everyone who touched this land swap proposal.   We have a Right to Know.  It's our land.  Never again.    
5. Please investigate the current FDEP Ombudsman, Mr. JOHN CALHOUN, and FDEP's maladroit call center.
6. Despite my repeated requests, Respondent Ombudsman JOHN CALHOUN apparently never did anything to get a more suitable room for the May 21, 2025 hearing.  FDEP was insouciant. 
7. Hundreds of people from St. Johns County were planning to attend, with busloads planning to leave Guana at 5 AM,  The May 21, 2025 meeting was slated for Room 137 in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Building.  
8. The FDEP Ombudsman call center hung up the phone when I asked for a better room, stating that there would be "overflow rooms."  Click.  
9. I requested that FDEP arrange for an auditorium.  
10. One of our former County Commissioners. Isaac Henry Dean, suggested that the Florida Governor and Cabinet Room would have adequate seating for some 250 people.   
11. But it appears that FDEP was willing  to cram everyone into a small room and would not communicate about it. 
12. Respondent FDEP's Ombudsman JOHN CALHOUN never called me back, despite repeated urgent communications.   As my late friend David Thundershield Queen said, does DEP still stand for "Don't Expect Protection?"  You tell me. 
ANNALS OF DeSANTISTAN: Gov. DeSantis’ latest plan to hand over preserved land united Florida – against him ‘Jewels for junk’ swap at Guana River drew so much opposition, the request was withdrawn. (Craig Pittman, Florida Phoenix, May 22, 2025)

St. Johns County leaders celebrate after 600-acre Guana River WMA land swap is withdrawn. (Lucia Viti, St. Augustine Record, May 20, 2025)


ANNALS OF DeSANTISTAN: Mysterious applicant withdraws request for controversial Guana River land swap. (Orlando Sentinel) 


MALARKEY: FDEP IG MUST Investigate Proposed GUANA LAND GRAB


ANNALS OF DeSANTISTAN: Bipartisan outrage from Florida lawmakers, residents grows over land swap. (Emily L Mahoney & Max Chesnes, Tampa Bay Times, May 17, 2025)


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Investigation finds... political stunt by the Florida GOP to benefit some local Republican politician.