March 13, 2003

By Tom Roussey

Collier County, Florida - It's not a total victory, but it's far from defeat for a Collier County man, fighting to keep his land. The state is trying to get the governor to forcibly take the land of Jesse Hardy.

It's in an area involved in the Everglades restoration project.

Hardy owns about 60 acres just south of I-75 in the Golden Gate Estates area.

He wants to live and die there, so leaving is not an option.

Hardy spent Thursday morning waiting for the governor's cabinet to decide his fate.

"I'm waiting on losing my home," said Hardy.

Hardy has become a bit of a folk hero, being seen as a symbol of the dislike many Golden Gate Estates residents have for state and local environmentalists.

"You can't just rip a feller out of his place, it's his home, that's what the U.S. is all about," said Hardy.

The state says it needs Hardy's land for its project to re-flood the Everglades.

Hardy said the elevation of his land is too high.

Thursday afternoon, Hardy got the news he had been anxiously waiting on, but he wasn't thrilled with what he heard.

He was told he could live on the land tax-free until they flood it.

"I am tax-free... I'm 100 percent disabled veteran," said Hardy. For the second straight time the governor decided not to try to forcibly take his land.

But, the state still wants him to sell his land now, and then move when the land is re-flooded.

He still absolutely refuses.

"Next thing you know they'd be throwing me totally out of here, saying hey, it's flooded, get out of here. They would flood it real da _ _ed quick then," said Hardy.

Jesse Hardy says he doesn't trust the state enough to sell to them, and vows to fight in court until the end.

Several environmental groups were called for their opinion on Hardy's fight, but the calls were not returned.

http://www.nbc-2.com/News/stories/031303-eminent_domain.shtml