Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff, has weighed in on a controversial land dispute in Florida.

The debate centers on a deal that would hand 600 acres of land within the Guana River Wildlife Management Area to a private developer. In exchange for the public land in St. Johns County, Upland LLC would offer a patchwork of about 3,000 acres of land in St. Johns, Lafayette, Osceola, and Volusia counties up to the government, allowing Florida to add 2,000 acres to its Wildlife Corridor, a network of millions of acres of parks, wildlife management areas, and forests. 

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While the Florida Department of Environmental Protection backs the trade as offering a “net positive conservation benefit,” Wiles has come out swinging against the deal in Northeast Florida, calling on members of the Acquisition and Restoration Council to vote down the “land grab.” The committee is expected to review the proposal and make a recommendation, after which the decision will go to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and his Cabinet, which will have the final say.

“Guana Preserve and its beauty, familiarity and serenity is woven into the fabric of our communities and is, indeed, a treasure in northeast Florida. To allow — even enable — this land grab to occur is outrageous and completely contrary to what our community desires,” Trump’s chief of staff told the Tributary.

“Elected and appointed leaders should vote against this development wolf in sheep’s clothing and preserve this extraordinary natural bounty,” Wiles continued. 

Wiles’ comments come from her decades of living in the state, fostering political connections with top officials who lend her high levels of influence in Florida politics. 

She even worked with DeSantis, although the pair had a falling out in 2020. 

The governor would be the final sign-off on any deal handing public lands to Upland LLC, which has sparked protests in the state. St. Johns residents, in particular, have expressed concern over the matter, saying they were not given sufficient notice about the potential swap.

“This is some of the rarest territory and biodiverse areas that we have,” protest organizer Stacy Strumpf told First Coast News. “For them to suggest swapping it with just a week’s notice? That’s not right.”

Karyn Morton, the Vice Chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida and a fierce Trump ally, has also opposed the deal.

“This is exactly the kind of quiet arrangement going on in Florida,” she said in a post to X. “And there are state legislators pushing to bypass local control to develop ‘rural’ & other lands, with dismal public notification.”

A host of state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have also come forward against the deal. 

Republican state Rep. Kim Kendall and Democratic state Reps. Lindsay Cross and Allison Tant are among those weighing in on the land swap. 

Tant praised Wiles for speaking out on the matter on Sunday. 

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“I grew up not far from the Guana River preserve and it is precious to Northeast Florida. I’m glad to see this: Guana River Preserve Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, slams controversial Northeast Florida land deal,” Tant said in a post to X. 

The Washington Examiner reached out to the governor’s office for comment.