Latest news with #Bill80
USA Today
11-08-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Fishing. camping, disc golf in, but golf, pickleball out in new Florida state parks bill
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. Inside 3 private meetings: Veterans group pitches JD state park golf course plan 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 772-409-1345, or follow him on X @JackLemnus.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What do you like most about Florida's state parks? Our bill protects that.
We are blessed to have one of the largest state park systems in the country with 175 state parks, including over 815,000 acres and 101 miles of beach. It has been recognized nationally as one of the nation's top parks systems — with our beautiful Jonathan Dickinson State Park at the top of the list. As Florida has grown into the third most-populated state in the country, millions of our residents and visitors have found refuge from the frenetic pace of life within our treasured parks — which are among the few places where folks can visit 'Old Florida' and relish the handiwork of God's creation. Last year, an effort came forward that would have added golf courses, disc golf, pickleball courts and hotels to nine state parks, fundamentally changing them forever. Unsurprisingly, this plan sparked a major controversy across the state, causing immense public backlash. Immediately, our community and Floridians from the Panhandle to the Keys came together, stepped up and made their voices heard and the refrain clear: Our state parks are not for sale. Within a matter of days, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has always prioritized our environment, squashed the plan, but the question remained: How do we ensure something like this never happens again? That is why we are sponsoring Senate Bill 80 and House Bill 209, the State Park Preservation Act. Our goal is to preserve and protect our parks by carefully defining and clarifying the purpose of and function of our state parks, creating transparency in the process when significant changes are proposed to our park system, and requiring a fiscal analysis of the needs of our park system. Opinion: Florida state parks bills are a good start. But without changes they won't help. Our bill clearly defines that the purpose of our park system is to provide conservation-based public outdoor recreational uses, public access and related amenities, and scientific research areas. We want to ensure this state's plant and animal species are preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of our residents, visitors, and especially for future generations. To be sure that there is no confusion about what we mean, we specifically include some examples of what could be included in conservation-based public outdoor recreational uses, i.e., fishing, camping, bicycling, hiking, nature study, swimming, boating, canoeing, horseback riding, diving, birding, sailing, jogging and other similar related conservation-based activities. We also specifically exclude sports that require sporting facilities, including golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, ball fields and other similar facilities. To create transparency, our bill establishes a state park advisory group and requires its input into the land management plans, specifically when any changes are proposed. Very importantly, we require at least one public hearing when a conservation land management plan is updated and require that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) must give at least 30 days' notice before the public hearing. Opinion: State Parks Preservation Act is a lesson in how Florida government should work We want the public to have sufficient time to understand the changes and have input into them. We also require that electronic copies be available to the public. (This is currently applicable only for parcels that exceed 160 acres in size.) Many of our state parks have facilities that are in need of major repair, renovation and restoration. We require that the DEP do a fiscal analysis of the needs for renovation and repair in our state parks. DEP must provide the Legislature with the cost of addressing the backlog of the deferred maintenance and repairs for each state park, as well as a plan to reduce or eliminate the backlog for the state park system by July 1, 2035. We are committed to addressing that backlog. We cannot pass SB 80 and HB 209 alone. We need your help. The legislative session has begun and we only have six weeks left for our bills to be heard in committee and be voted on by the Senate and the House of Representatives. Opinion: Let's get Florida's crucial 'State Park Preservation Act' over the finish line The Senate version of the bill's next scheduled stop is the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government. The House version is scheduled for a hearing in the State Affairs Committee. Please contact your local legislators (at and and let them know how important this legislation is to preserve and protect our incredible state park system. Tell your legislators what your local state park means to you and your family. Share your personal experiences hiking, biking, camping, swimming, walking the beach or just watching a sunset in one of our state parks. Let your legislators know that SB 80 and HB 209 must pass to preserve and protect our state parks for our children and grandchildren. Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, represents Senate District 31, which includes Martin and parts of St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties. Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, represents House District 86, which includes parts of Martin and Palm Beach counties. This op-ed was published as part of a campaign by the USA Today Network Florida Opinion Group to support Senate Bill 80/House Bill 209 and protect Florida's state parks. Email letter, op-eds, even photos to RChristieParks@ and we will publish them. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: If you enjoy FL state parks, preserve them for the future | Opinion
