We protected Florida parks, but recent proposals make our state untrustworthy

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09-06-2025

I just wanted to thank you for the big part you played helping to get our parks protected.
I'm hoping, as we all are, that this outcome will send a strong message to those who seek to sell off our precious state parks. Unfortunately, there was a recent proposed (land swap) involving Guana River that was attempted, and I'm sure you are aware of it. I'm afraid that this will not be the last attempt to swindle the citizens of Florida out of what has been set aside for all to enjoy for generations to come.
When I was a ranger at T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph's Peninsula State Park, there was a land swap that was played up as a big deal for Florida. Getting a huge amount of land in a land swap deal! I forget what the ratio was, but it was similar to the Guana River backdoor deal. Between the coastal town of Port St. Joe and the turn onto Cape San Blas there was a lot of low-lying coastline which included maritime hammocks and salt marsh mix. Prime habitat for all sorts of birds and other wildlife, as well as all the marine species that lived there.
The state traded this prime coastal habitat for large tracts of land inland. This coastal strand was turned into more coastal beach homes, and was all developed. I kept hearing about what a great deal this was for the citizens of Florida. So my wife and I went over to this newly acquired tract of land. What it consisted of was acres and acres of land which had been stripped of any timber of value by St. Joe Paper Co. What they didn't want had been mowed down in the process; ugly land that was low, swampy and bug-infested that had basically been raped and plundered of anything of value. This was the much-hyped land swap? I strongly suspect this is what the swap at Guana River would have looked like. Anytime the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or any state agency proposes a land swap we are all getting screwed.
Letters: Do you care about protecting Florida's state parks? Here's what you said.
Right now, the state is laying waste to hundreds of acres at Bald Point State Park in the name of habitat restoration. Allegedly, restoring the hardwood mixed with pine back to pine flatwoods, which now look like hell. In my opinion, it looks mighty suspicious. It looks more like housing development or golf course land clearing than habitat restoration.
After the "Great Outdoors Initiative", I personally don't trust anything that DEP is involved with or gets their hands on.
Dana Hunsley lives in Panacea, Fla. He wrote this for The Palm Beach Post.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida parks are still under threat despite protection | Opinion