The Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) has come under scrutiny for purchasing land from Rayonier in 2015 while allowing the company to retain—and later lease—mineral rights to Chemours for titanium mining. This arrangement leaves the public paying for land that is neither fully protected nor accessible for recreation, while private industry retains the profits and power to exploit it.

Community members are questioning whether this deal fulfills SRWMD’s mission to safeguard water, wetlands, and wildlife. Mining operations threaten aquifer recharge, water quality, and habitat integrity, yet the public has no assurance that conservation funds are being used for lasting protections.

In a June 2025 letter to SRWMD’s Executive Director, Hugh Thomas, Carol Mosley expressed deep concerns about this arrangement. She wrote:

“The purchase, ownership and mineral rights leasing is a very confusing group endeavor that seems to leave the public out of the stated benefits… I don’t understand why SRWMD purchased this land ‘for public benefit’ only to have it mined by a private entity… Mining and public access are at odds with each other. Thus, my confusion.”

Mosley further questioned whether SRWMD received any tangible return for its investment—such as income from timber harvests or future public use—and whether the public had been misled. She concluded that the deal looks like either SRWMD was taken advantage of, or the public was deceived about the true intentions for conservation.

These concerns strike at the heart of accountability. If the land still serves as a buffer for Camp Blanding and Rayonier continues to profit from mining, what justification exists for SRWMD’s involvement? Taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize arrangements that undermine both conservation goals and public trust.

The path forward must ensure that conservation lands are not just purchased, but meaningfully protected—free from mining risks and genuinely open to public benefit. Anything less fails the mission of water resource protection and the people who fund it.