Controversial New Florida State Park Initiative All About The Money?

Photo for illustrative purposes onlyPhoto byGregorio NutionUnsplash

Is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) trying to limit attendance at the public meetings regarding its proposed changes to Florida’s state parks in a push to make more money off of them? There has been a great deal of controversy after the FDEP’s announcement earlier this week about its 2024 to 2025 ‘Great Outdoors Initiative’, which aims to add amenities like resort-style hotels, pickleball courts, and golf courses to Florida’s state parks.

The FDEP has scheduled its meetings regarding the nine most heavily impacted state parks on the same day and time but in different locations across the state. All of the meetings are on August 27, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and they are simultaneously being held in Stuart, St. Augustine, Santa Rosa Beach, Panama City Beach, Tampa, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Check out the FDEP’s calendar here for further details.

The Topsail Hill Preserve and Grayton Beach meetings are combined into one for a total of eight different locations that are hours apart all over the state of Florida. This makes it next to impossible for concerned Floridians to voice their opinions properly, especially if they care about more than one of the impacted state parks.

In addition, citizens were given only one week’s notice for the meetings, only one hour is allotted for a presentation and public comment, and there seems to be no apparent question-and-answer session in any of the meetings.

Furthermore, the FDEP claims that this initiative is an investment in Florida’s state parks, and that “Florida has invested over $400 million to support the operation and maintenance of existing park infrastructure” since 2019. It also claims that, through Governor DeSantis, Florida has been able to acquire more than 260,000 acres for the Florida State Park System over the past few years and that the initiative will “increase public access”.

However, the FDEP notes in its announcement how much money is being made off of these state parks, declaring that Florida’s state parks contribute to “an annual economic impact of $3.6 billion”. The FDEP also asserts that Florida’s outdoor recreation economy as a whole generates more than $52 billion.

While these initiatives are potentially creating more jobs too, are the increases to state park land and the newly planned initiatives, with the amenities and hotels included, more about making money than improving and protecting Florida’s natural landscape?

Conservationists and environmental groups like the Florida Wildlife Federation (FWF) are expressing their unease over this threat of development. The FWF is encouraging Floridians to reach out to Governor DeSantis, FDEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton, and state representatives to voice their “concerns about these proposals and the lack of public participation”.

The FWF’s sample email with the suggested subject “Don’t Develop Our State Parks” reads as follows:

“Dear [elected official],

I am writing to express my concern regarding the nine amendments to existing unit management plans for the following State Parks:

Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Martin County)
Anastasia State Park (St. Johns County)
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (Walton County)
Camp Helen State Park (Bay County)
Grayton Beach State Park (Walton County)
Hillsborough River State Park (Hillsborough County)
Honeymoon Island State Park (Pinellas County)
Dr. Von Mizell – Eula Johnson State Park (Broward County)
Oleta River State Park (Miami-Dade County)

These proposed changes to the state parks that I visit and enjoy throughout Florida would tarnish the natural landscape that is increasingly rare in our state. The “Real Florida” is not comprised of golf courses, resorts, and pickleball courts. The state parks are, in some places, the only remaining vestiges of Florida's unique and varied ecosystems.

I am requesting that these proposed amendments to the unit management plans be removed from consideration because they are incompatible with the very reason I cherish our state parks.

Sincerely,

[Your information here]”

In order to send your own personalized email to the elected official of your choosing through the FWF, visit its website here.

Article by Ema Tibbetts