Fishing. camping, disc golf in, but golf, pickleball out in new Florida state parks bill

USA Today

3 days ago

When news broke in August about controversial plans to build golf courses, lodges and pickleball courts in Florida's state parks, a Stuart lawmaker began drafting legislation to prevent such proposals from happening again.
Republican Sen. Gayle Harrell's district contains Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where the state planned to build three golf courses on 1,000 acres of protected scrubland, along with tearing down the historic Hobe Tower. The plans surprised Harrell just as much as her constituents, she said.
'Back when everyone was so upset about this, I said the first bill I'm going to file is to protect our parks,' Harrell told TCPalm this week.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection also listed "disc golf" for the Savannas Preserve State Park in St. Lucie County that spans over 15 miles from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach.
Catch up: All the news about Jonathan Dickinson State Park golf course proposal
Harrell to file bill: Will protect state parks from "misguided ideas" like golf courses
On Dec. 4, Harrell filed Senate Bill 80, entitled the 'State Park Preservation Act,' which would specify proper recreational uses for state parks — one of which is not golf.
The 14-page bill wouldn't just ban golf courses and other recreational facilities in state parks. The law also would update how public lands are managed and conserved, and how these changes are communicated to the public.
All this will be considered when the bill goes before the Florida Legislature during the March-May session.
What development is allowed in state parks?
When Harrell was drafting the bill, she noted the lack of specifics in existing law about what is and is not allowed in state parks.
'The wording in existing law was too vague,' Harrell said. 'In defining the purpose of a park, it basically said to preserve and protect the natural habitat, but it didn't say what that meant.'
The bill states only 'conservation-based' recreational uses are permissible in state parks, meaning activities such as fishing, camping, horseback riding and canoeing. Sporting amenities such as 'golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, ball fields, and other similar facilities' are not listed as conservation based and are prohibited.
The difference between undisturbed and disturbed habitat
The bill prioritizes the conservation of natural resources in state parks by 'minimizing impacts to undisturbed habitat.'
An example of this kind of undisturbed habitat would be the pristine scrublands and flatwood forests of Jonathan Dickinson. These lands have largely been untouched for centuries, save the slight impacts of Native Americans who lived there before European settlers.
Disturbed habitat, however, should be used to the 'maximum extent practicable.' An example of disturbed lands in Jonathan Dickinson would be Hobe Tower and Camp Murphy, the World War II-era radar training school, whose remaining structures now act as lodging for park staff.
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Harrell said these disturbed regions would be protected regardless, given they are designated historical sites.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which Gov. Ron DeSantis oversees, thought otherwise. Hobe Tower and portions of Camp Murphy were among the lands slated for development as part of DEP's Great Outdoors Initiative.
DeSantis tabled the project after bipartisan public backlash, but said at an August news conference the 'abandoned military camp' could have been turned into 'something really nice.'
Examples of proper use of disturbed habitat would mean subtle development, such as adding parking spaces to Hobe Mountain, Harrell said.
Bill addresses 350-room lodge at Anastasia State Park
A chief concern about the Great Outdoors Initiative was a 350-room lodge proposed for Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine.
SB 80 would ban construction and other activities that "may cause significant harm to the resources of the state park,' including "lodging establishments" other than camping cabins limited to six people.
Such cabins must be built without damaging critical habitat, natural resources or historical sites.
More transparency
When the state park development plans were leaked by a now-fired DEP official, the public was given six days to voice their concerns at public meetings around the state. These meetings were nearly simultaneous, on a weekday during work hours and none of the decision-makers involved in the state park plan would have been present.
The bill addresses this by requiring any change to public land be announced 30 days before a public hearing.
How land management plans work
To make changes to public lands, such as state parks, a proposal must go through many hands.
Existing law states the land manager, such as DEP or whoever owns the land, must submit a land management plan that details potential short- or long-term impacts to the environment.
The plan is presented to the Acquisition and Restoration Council. a 10-member advisory group with appointees by the governor, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
ARC reviews the plan and sends its recommendation to be voted on by the board of trustees, which consists of the Florida Cabinet, including the governor, attorney general, agricultural commissioner and chief financial officer.
Jack Lemnus is a TCPalm enterprise reporter. Contact him at [e-mail], 772-409-1345, or follow him on X @JackLemnus.