The Florida Department of Environmental Protection considered two dozen state parks for more intensive development at one time, a new, unreleased document shows, and a Sarasota County gem — Oscar Scherer State Park — was among the green spaces listed for a potential park overhaul.
The DEP document lists Oscar Scherer State Park, located 12 miles south of Sarasota in Osprey, on page two under its “Florida State Parks with Additional Capacity for new Recreational Opportunities” heading. Two amenities not currently available at Oscar Scherer State Park — pickleball and disc golf — are associated with the popular site that features habitat for the Florida scub-jay, listed as a threatened species.
Oscar Scherer is included in a group of five state parks in District 4.
In late August, Floridians and conservationists across the Sunshine State quickly swarmed the agency in opposition to its "Great Outdoors Initiative" , after the plan to develop golf courses, hotels and other more intensive uses at nine state parks initially became public.
The public outcry was so swift and widespread that the DEP paused the proposal days later. The blowback also prompted the agency to postpone its late August simultaneous public hearings on the proposal, which had been set to take place across multiple municipalities.
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Oscar Scherer was not on the announced DEP Great Outdoors Initiative development plan.
The initial nine-park plan included proposed development at Honeymoon Island State Park, Hillsborough River State Park, Oleta River State Park, Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Anastasia State Park Camp, Helen State Park, Grayton Beach State Park, and Topsail Hill Preserve.
The proposal was called for adding various modern amenities such as pickleball courts and multi-room lodging at well-known parks and was announced on the department’s X account (formerly Twitter) in a series of tweets on Aug. 19.
The Herald-Tribune has requested the two-page document as well as additional records related to information about Oscar Scherer.
The Tampa Bay Times first reported the information from the undated document, which shows a total of 24 Florida parks, including Oscar Scherer.
What we know about Oscar Scherer State Park on DEP list
Neither Oscar Scherer Park manager Matt Kruse or a DEP spokesperson could be reached for comment about the park's listing on the unreleased document.
The list of parks shows each with at least one potential enhancement. The document does not include any information that alludes to a timeline or development plan, however.
There are about 175 state parks and natural sites in Florida. Oscar Scherer State Park encompasses 1,400 acres of land and is home to various native plants and protected species.
It attracts about 250,000 visitors each year to the southern part of Sarasota County near Venice. The DEP-controlled park includes hiking trails, campsites and freshwater canals. It's one of the latest Florida state parks to add a popular Timberline Glamping site .
Another District 4 park, Highlands Hammock State Park located in central Florida near Sebring is also listed on the unreleased document.
Public wants parks, land protection
Florida conservationists and nature lovers have been vehemently condemning the proposed DEP plan since its announcement. Public supporters for saving Florida State Parks ballooned to the tens of thousands online, including the Martin County Protect Johnathan Dickinson State Park Facebook group.
Jeff Corwin, a naturalist and TV host of Wildlife Nation Expedition Florida, is among the public supporters and understands that the DEP plan is just the tip of the iceberg as growth and development continue across the Sunshine State.
“In the last 25 years, a quarter of Florida has been developed. In the next three decades, an area the size of Vermont of Florida's wilderness will be swallowed up for commercial and residential development,” Corwin said.
“Florida state parks protect endangered nature, but many forget that they are a buffer against Florida natural disasters — our hurricanes, our floods. You have to think of the (state) parks as the immune system of the Florida ecosystem. It protects us all. We have one primary responsibility, which is the highest level of environmental stewardship to ensure that this jewel makes it intact to the next generation. Part of that means not carving it up for a golf course a pickleball court... that was never in the plan for state parks.”
After the public backlash, Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly criticized the DEP plan saying in a press conference in Winter Haven on Aug. 28 that the ideas were “half-baked.” He also denied his approval of the DEP proposal.
The agency has stated that it would not begin looking into the controversial proposal until the end of the year. The FLDEP X account has been inactive since it announced it would be canceling its public hearings on Aug. 23.
Samantha Gholar covers social justice and lifestyle news for USA Today Network-Florida . Connect with her on X (Twitter) @samanthagholar or by email at sgholar@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Oscar Scherer State Park in Sarasota County listed on stifled Florida DEP overhaul plan
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