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Callie DeHaven, a respected leader in conservation circles, submitted her resignation letter on a piece of notebook paper.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The woman at the top of Florida’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship has resigned.
This just a week before the controversial Guana Tomomato Matanzas Reserve land swamp proposal was posted online to the public.
No word if there’s a connection between the two, but her resignation letter has some people scratching their heads.
Callie DeHaven is a well-respected person in conservation circles and very familiar with northeast Florida. She has abruptly resigned as the director of the Florida Division of State Lands within the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Her resignation letter was a simple piece of notebook paper, written in pen, stating: To whom it may concern, I hereby resign my position… effective June 2nd, 2025 close of business.
This is the agency that would have been the second entity to approve the controversial land swap that would have given 600 acres of protected land inside the Guana River Wildlife Management Area in St. Johns County to a private and mysterious entity. That deal is now a no-go because the applicant — The Upland, LLC — withdrew the application due to public outcry.
First Coast News does not know if this issue had anything to do with DeHaven’s decision to resign. We do know the letter is dated one May 6, which is one week before the land swap proposal was posted online inside a state meeting agenda.
DeHaven has been the Director of the Division of State Lands for eight years. According to her LinkedIn pages, she has also been the Manager of the Conservation Program with Rayonier and she’s also worked with The Nature Conservancy.
The DEP sent us a statement saying DeHaven has dedicated “more than two decades to conservation planning, land acquisition and land stewardship. During her tenure, Florida Forever surpassed one million acres of conservation land acquired.”
First Coast News has inquired about why DeHaven is leaving the Division of State Lands. At this time, we have not been given a reason. We have also reached out to her for comment.
