CHPOA organized a resistance committee and began to raise funds from the community to pursue a legal challenge to the project.  Our first tactic in this battle was to hire an attorney, and on his advice, we filed a formal protest with the state. This filing was directed at Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the primary permitting agency in the case, and notified them of our interest in the proceedings and our commitment to see that all applicable laws and standards were upheld. 

It was discovered during this process that the boat ramp and docks already built on the property by the developer were not properly permitted, and that wetlands that had originally existed on the property had been improperly filled.  By virtue of our filing, we became a party to the dispute, and our attorney kept the pressure on SWFWMD to discourage them from issuing an after-the-fact permit for the docks and boat ramp. 

As a result, SWFWMD eventually ordered the developer to remove the boat ramp, and in effect, invalidated the original planned purchase by the county.  The county backed away from its  purchase and development plans for the property, and is on record as saying that the property is not suited for a public boat launching facility after all.