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Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Senate approves bill protecting state parks from development, but it's not a done deal yet
Dunedin City Commissioner Jeff Gow (left) during a protest at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin on August 27, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) A measure that would prevent development in state parks was passed unanimously in the Florida Senate on Wednesday, 37-0. However, the measure now must go back to the House for one more vote before it can arrive on Gov. DeSantis' desk to be signed into law. The State Park Preservation Act (HB 209) was filed last year by Southeast Republican Sen. Gayle Harrell following a statewide public backlash to the Department of Environmental Protection's 'Great Outdoor Initiative.' That plan called for building lodges, golf courses, pickleball courts, and disc golf courses in nine state parks. 'This is democracy at work,' Harrell said before the Senate passed the measure. 'This was really a grassroots endeavor that came up and the participation of so many people across the aisle, every socioeconomic group, every group that you could talk to, this was the issue of the summer. I can tell you that all the demonstrations out in the hot August sun in Florida to get out there and do that to let people know that our parks are the core of who we are.' The Florida House unanimously passed its version of the bill last week, but its Senate companion (SB 80) had not been scheduled for a vote until Wednesday, drawing concern from environmentalists that the measure wouldn't be addressed before the legislative session was scheduled to end later this week. (The session is expected to go beyond this week, however, with the two chambers at odds over the state budget). Those concerns increased earlier this week when Miami-Dade Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud added an amendment that the Sierra Club claimed in a press release was 'an obvious attempt to run out the clock.' However, Harrell gladly accepted Calatayud's amendment on Wednesday, which included language prohibiting construction of specified sporting facilities and public lodging in state parks — listing golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, ball fields, or other sporting facilities that 'may not be constructed within the boundaries of state parks.' But her amendment also says that the state can continue to maintain or repair of 'any such sporting facilities, or other facilities, existing with a state park.' The bill requires the DEP to report to the governor and Legislature regarding the status and operation of state parks. Additionally, the bill revises notice requirements for public meetings. It requires individual land management plans with parcels within a state park to be developed with the input of an advisory committee. It also says that the Division of State Lands shall make available to the public an electronic copy of each land management plan at least 30 days before the public hearing required for parcels that exceed 160 acres in size and for parcels located within a state park. Panhandle Republican Sen. Don Gaetz asked Harrell whether she could assure him that there is no 'weasel word' in the bill that would 'allow any kind of commercialization of our state parks now or in the future, or in any land that would be required contiguous to our state parks?' 'There's no wiggle room for golf courses or things of that sort for that to be built within our existing state parks,' Harrell replied. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Locals breathe sigh of relief as Florida lawmakers push bill to restrict development on state parks
Florida lawmakers are now pushing a bill that would block development within state parks- that includes restricting building golf courses and hotel type lodges. Action News Jax told you back in January after the legislation was first filed. This comes after serious backlash from last year's proposal, the 'Great Outdoors Initiative' that called for developing nine state parks, including Anastasia State Park. Read: St. Augustine residents rally against state's 'Great Outdoor Initiative' to protect Anastasia State Park Now, several St. Augustine residents said they are relieved after being mortified last year when they heard about potential development on Anastasia State Park. They said Anastasia is known for its wildlife and the proposed golf and pickleball courts would threaten all of it. 'There are so many laws that protect all the wildlife here especially this area with the turtles and the birds. To think about developing one of the last areas that actually they protect wildlife is absolutely mind-boggling,' said Darlene Brozowski, a St. Augustine resident. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Probably the biggest controversy was the proposal to add three different golf courses at one state park- the Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County. Governor. Ron DeSantis's team paused the proposal after the statewide backlash. Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith from Orlando supports keeping development out of state parks. 'Florida is a beautiful state. It is a beautiful state because of our natural beauty and the state parks that exist within the great state of Florida,' State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D- Orlando. The bill protecting the state parks is in motion for the legislative session that will kick off on March 4th. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
