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Under a deal that even Gov. Jeb Bush acknowledged "would only happen in Florida," the governor and Cabinet voted to spend $11-million from the state's environmental land-buying funds for a conservation easement on the 150-acre Polk County park. The easement severely limits the land's future development. The vote was the final step in a complex, $20.5-million deal aimed at preserving "Florida's first theme park" while updating it to draw enough tourists to keep it open. Kent Buescher, owner of Wild Adventures, will operate the theme park portion of the land.
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