Audubon and Cameratta Companies have reached a settlement to resolve Audubon’s lawsuit challenging the permitting and review of the Kingston development north of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
While celebrating Kingston's groundbreaking in November, Cameratta Companies said the development would have about 10,000 homes and 700,000 square feet of commercial space. The developer also recently talked of building a road on an easement its property owns that runs through the unspoiled sanctuary for a hurricane evacuation route.
Audubon’s popular Corkscrew Swamp is a 13,000-acre wildlife sanctuary protecting the world’s largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest, with a 2.25-mile boardwalk.
Keith Laakkonen, the sanctuary’s director, said in an email he appreciated the public’s outpouring of support during Audubon’s legal challenge involving Kingston’s Army Corps of Engineers permit and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s review.
“This agreement provides for improved conservation outcomes and water quality, support for corridors for endangered Florida panthers to move safely across the landscape, and a return of any easements across our property to Audubon within two years — eliminating the risk of an evacuation route being constructed through the sanctuary.”
Recent coverage on the Kingston development
- Developer abandons controversial plan for roadway through Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
- Southwest Florida subdivisions poised to clog Wildlife Corridor
- Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary renovations, upgrades, continue
- Cameratta Companies break ground at Kingston despite legal challenges
In March, a federal court for the Middle District of Florida issued a 22-page ruling that Audubon did not meet the criteria to legally pause the development.
Chené Thompson, a partner at Pavese Law Firm representing Cameratta, responded to WGCU by email.
“Cameratta and Audubon have reached an amicable settlement over the federal lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and Cameratta,” Thompson said. “Cameratta consistently designs and builds projects that will provide improved conservation and habitat for animals like the Florida Panther, so this settlement with Audubon made sense and reflected a shared commitment to preserving and protecting Florida’s natural resources.
Thompson mentioned that the settlement included acquiring “property previously considered for Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 at no taxpayers’ dollars” but did not elaborate.
“Audubon did not undertake litigation in search of a monetary settlement, nor did we receive one,” Laakkonen said. “We believe that these outcomes will improve habitat for wildlife now and into the future.”
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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