U.S. Sugar to give up Everglades land

WELLINGTON, Fla., June 24 (UPI) -- U.S. Sugar said Tuesday it agreed to sell 187,000 acres of Everglades land to the state of Florida for $1.7 billion.

The deal was hailed as the largest environmental purchase ever made by the state, The Miami Herald reported.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist called the land south of Lake Okeechobee in Hendry, Glades and Palm Beach counties the "missing link" in Everglades restoration.

''I can envision no better gift to the Everglades, or the people of Florida, than to place in public ownership this missing link that represents the key to true restoration,'' Crist said.

The deal, expected to close in 75 days, gives the South Florida Water Management District about 300 square miles of farmland, two large sugar refineries and 200 miles of railroad.

U.S. Sugar will lease the land for six years before ceasing its operations there, the Herald reported.

President of U.S. Sugar Bob Buker expressed sadness at leaving the area the company has farmed for years, the newspaper reported.

But, Buker recognized the deal's importance from an environmental point of view.

''This is a watershed event in national conservation history and a paradigm shift for the Everglades and the environment in Florida,'' Buker told the Herald.