Dead fish, including trophy-sized speckled sea trout and redfish, are washing up along the Guana Preserve, prompting environmentalists to call for an investigation and restoration plan.

Months after public outcry stopped a controversial land swap involving Guana Preserve in St. Johns County, Rep. Kim Kendall has introduced HB 441 to prevent similar deals from happening without public knowledge.

The general public still doesn’t know who was behind a failed land swap deal involving the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, thanks to the complex world of corporate anonymity, where it’s perfectly legal for LLCs to shield the identities of the true owners.

In St. Johns County, the community is celebrating after the proposed land swap at the Guana Preserve was officially dropped. Local leaders gathered for a press conference this morning to express their satisfaction with the decision, and during the county commission meeting tonight, residents echoed their sentiments.

State Representative Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, is set to hold a news conference Tuesday near Guana Preserve in St. Johns County alongside other county leaders.

State Representative Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, is set to hold a news conference Tuesday near Guana Preserve in St. Johns County alongside other county leaders.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is considering a land swap of 3,000 acres of private land in exchange for 600 acres of the Guana River Wildlife Management area in St. Johns County.

St. Johns County residents protested the proposed Guana Preserve land swap on Saturday.

A controversial proposal to exchange 600 acres of protected land in St. Johns County’s Guana Preserve for conservation land elsewhere has sparked strong opposition from local residents and environmental advocates.

Beachfront parking and beach access at Mickler’s Landing have reopened following the Ponte Vedra Beach Restoration Project that began in March.