Most people don’t know that the collection of islands and keys located on the southwest side of the Skyway Bridge are privately owned. When Florida first sold the islands in 1956, other rights were separately purchased. That sale included the right to bulkhead, dredge, and fill, rights that are rare today. The rights attached to these properties, collectively known as the Skyway Preserve, have been affirmed repeatedly since 1965.

Over the years, Florida has indicated the desire to buy all or some of the properties including Rattlesnake Key, a beloved destination for kayakers and others. Unfortunately, the state has never executed a purchase process, even after the 2022 Florida Legislature passed money in the budget that was approved by the Governor for purchase.

During this time, we have learned about the process that the DEP uses to value and acquire conservation lands and believe it has deep and serious flaws. We remain willing to work with the State to see these unique lands, which are the largest undeveloped portion of the coastline and islands in one of the most densely populated areas of Florida, conserved.

The owners are not going to rely on DEP acting in a timely fashion and will now offer the property for sale to any interested parties. It is clear to us that our elected leaders must fix this process to conserve these and many other important lands before it is too late.