TAMPA — The day after a landowner withdrew its controversial plan to acquire 600 acres of Northeast Florida conservation land, Gov. Ron DeSantis, when asked about it, didn’t provide an answer to the question Floridians and politicians alike are still wondering: Who’s behind the proposal?

During a news conference in Tampa, a Tampa Bay Times reporter asked the governor why the Florida environmental regulatory agency he oversees, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, has yet to unveil the identity of the recently formed “Upland LLC” which asked the state for the land.

DeSantis responded: “It was not initiated by DEP, it was initiated by a private landowner.” The governor ignored an immediate follow-up: Who is the landowner? Then he took a new, unrelated question.

Since Wednesday, when the environmental agency unveiled a previously unscheduled meeting of its land acquisition council to vote on the proposal, questions have swirled around the plan’s origins. The Upland LLC wanted to obtain 600 acres of land in the Guana River Wildlife Management Area in St. Johns County in exchange for a patchwork of parcel across four counties.

The Upland LLC’s business filings with the state don’t list anyone other than a general business services firm as its leader, making the true identity of the entity unclear. Even though the group announced Monday night that it was withdrawing the proposal, lawmakers are still seeking answers.

In an email just after 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, State Rep. Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, repeated a request she made days earlier to the environmental agency asking who’s behind the plan.

“I still need the applicant information,” Kendall wrote in an email to Bryan Bradner, the acting deputy secretary for land and recreation.

“Please provide the information I have requested today.”

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.