Facing a growing roar of opposition from Floridians and prominent politicians, the private company trying to acquire a 600-acre piece of beloved northeast Florida conservation land has withdrawn its proposal, according to Florida’s environmental regulatory agency.

“The applicant has informed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection of its decision to withdraw its land exchange request,” agency spokesperson Alexandra Kuchta wrote in a Monday evening statement to the Tampa Bay Times.

“This item will be removed from the upcoming Acquisition and Restoration Council agenda.”

That committee within the state environmental department was scheduled to convene Wednesday to vote on the land deal. In the public agenda for the meeting, the company desiring the land within the Guana River Wildlife Management Area was only listed as The Upland LLC.

For days, the public and some elected officials have demanded that the state reveal who was behind the request and what they planned to do with the land. State Rep. Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, sent multiple emails to the state environmental agency asking who was behind the recently created LLC, but received no reply. She had planned to host multiple news conferences before Wednesday’s vote to oppose the proposal, alongside local officials from deeply red St. Johns County.

“This is a major victory for our community, our environment, and for the future of Florida’s natural treasures,” Kendall wrote in an email alert she sent out to supporters.

But, Kendall cautioned, “our work isn’t done.” She plans to sponsor a bill next legislative session “to close the loopholes that made this land swap attempt possible.” Kendall also said if the mystery owner of the roughly 100-acre parcel next to the Guana preserve, which was requesting the land deal, is open to selling, she would request state money to buy it and absorb it into the wildlife area.

Not long before news of the proposal withdrawal broke, another powerful Republican had added his name to the list of opponents. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis as governor, posted on X that “Guana Preserve is NOT for sale.” One day earlier, Susie Wiles, chief of staff to President Donald Trump and a longtime resident of the area near the preserve, also condemned the idea.

Rep. Allison Tant, a Democrat from Tallahassee, said once she heard the news about the withdrawal, she was on “cloud nine.”

“This time, Florida won,” she said, adding that after the controversy over state parks development and other sagas, the people of Florida have been very clear “over and over and over again” that they want the state’s environment to be protected.

Although the company is withdrawing its request for now, Tant encouraged people to stay vigilant.

“You know and I know they’ll be back, whoever they are, because they’re never satisfied.”

A letter circulating on social media, apparently from a lawyer representing The Upland LLC and addressed to state officials, said the company never intended to develop the parcel for commercial purposes.

Tant had heard rumors of golf courses, and she wasn’t buying it.

“I’m throwing the bulls–t flag on that,” Tant said.