Latest news with #StateParkPreservationAct
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
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida state parks now legally protected from commercial development
May 23 (UPI) -- State parks in Florida are now protected from commercial construction after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the State Park Preservation Act into law Thursday. The act, which will take effect in July, prevents developers from constructing hotels, golf courses or other commercial enterprises in any of Florida's 175 state parks. Pinellas County Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross, who also is an environmental scientist, posted to social media Friday that the act establishes "protections for all 175 state parks against commercial development," and also thanked "everyone who fought for this bill, and who stood up to preserve our home." Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, Highland Beach, called the passage of the act a "bipartisan, bicameral legislative victory," on her X account Thursday, and then quoted "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss to close her post with "I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." The new law came after a backlash caused by a purported plan proposed by the state in 2024 and allegedly leaked by the Florida Wildlife Federation to allow commercial development at nine different state parks. All future developments are not completely banned but will instead need to be conservation-minded, and support nature-friendly activities such as camping, hiking and kayaking. The Florida Wildlife Federation posted a note of appreciation to its website Thursday, with thanks given to the Florida Senate and House "for their unanimous support of this legislation every step of the way," and it called the law "a massive win for wildlife, outdoor spaces, and future generations who will get to experience Florida's natural wonders just as they should be: wild and natural."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida's state parks are now protected from developments after Gov. DeSantis signs new law
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — After months of protests, the future of Florida's state parks has been decided. Gov. DeSantis signed a new law, unanimously passed by state lawmakers, preventing any projects on protected lands. The State Park Preservation Act will protect all 175 of the state parks by preventing developers from building golf courses, hotels or other commercial projects on state park land. The newly signed law comes after widespread outrage toward a proposed plan from the state last year to develop nine state parks. 'I don't think that they're going to stop at a single pickleball court, or one little trail, or one little glamping site. I think that once that door is opened, it's going to continue on until there's no more wild Florida left,' Gia Medina said. The bill does not ban all developments, but any future proposals will have to be conservation-based, and support activities like hiking, kayaking and camping. Lawmakers said they've heard the concerns over development loud and clear and insist preservation of the parks will be protected. 'What we have in our landscape is irreplaceable and once it's gone, we're never going to get it back,' Medina said. Now that the bill has been signed into law, it will take effect in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
UPI
23-05-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Florida state parks now legally protected from commercial development
Florida's new State Park Preservation Act will prevent developers from constructing hotels, golf courses or other commercial enterprises in any of Florida's 175 state parks. File Photo (2009) by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo May 23 (UPI) -- State parks in Florida are now protected from commercial construction after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the State Park Preservation Act into law Thursday. The act, which will take effect in July, prevents developers from constructing hotels, golf courses or other commercial enterprises in any of Florida's 175 state parks. Pinellas County Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross, who also is an environmental scientist, posted to social media Friday that the act establishes "protections for all 175 state parks against commercial development," and also thanked "everyone who fought for this bill, and who stood up to preserve our home." Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, Highland Beach, called the passage of the act a "bipartisan, bicameral legislative victory," on her X account Thursday, and then quoted "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss to close her post with "I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." The new law came after a backlash caused by a purported plan proposed by the state in 2024 and allegedly leaked by the Florida Wildlife Federation to allow commercial development at nine different state parks. All future developments are not completely banned but will instead need to be conservation-minded, and support nature-friendly activities such as camping, hiking and kayaking. The Florida Wildlife Federation posted a note of appreciation to its website Thursday, with thanks given to the Florida Senate and House "for their unanimous support of this legislation every step of the way," and it called the law "a massive win for wildlife, outdoor spaces, and future generations who will get to experience Florida's natural wonders just as they should be: wild and natural."
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
DeSantis signs bill banning development of golf courses, hotels at state parks
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday to prohibit the building of golf courses, hotels and other amenities on state parks, putting an end to a nearly yearlong controversy that united people from across the state and political spectrum in support of preserving public land. The Florida Senate website showed the bill, House Bill 209, called the 'State Park Preservation Act,' as having been signed just before 5 p.m. The governor's office did not immediately announce the signing, nor did his office respond to an email requesting comment. DeSantis had previously said he would sign the bill, which passed the Legislature unanimously. Still, his signature was momentous, in part because the bill directly outlawed an initiative his administration had pursued last year: to add amenities in nine parks, including golf in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, pickleball in Pinellas County's Honeymoon Island and a hotel near the rolling dunes of Anastasia State Park. The proposal was leaked by a concerned state employee, James Gaddis, who opposed the potential habitat loss and later lost his job for releasing the information. After the state's plans were first revealed by the Tampa Bay Times, Floridians protested at their local parks, and politicians — even those usually counted among DeSantis' allies — quickly condemned the idea. DeSantis shelved the proposal in August amid the backlash. Sen. Gayle Harrell, a Republican from Stuart who sponsored the legislation, said her day was made Thursday afternoon when her legislative aide called her with the news. 'I'm just ecstatic. Without the support of the people of Florida, this would not have happened,' Harrell told the Times. 'The people stood up and said, 'Our parks are precious and they should be preserved.' They are the ones who won this battle.' Eric Draper, the former director of Florida state parks under DeSantis who has since criticized the plan to build on state parks, underscored the importance of transparency. Last year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection gave Floridians less than a week's time to review the park development plans before a series of simultaneous meetings were to be held across the state. The law now requires the public be given 30 days' notice. 'The best way to protect our state parks is to involve park users in park plans,' Draper said in a text. 'This good law puts an end to secret proposals to turn wildlife habitat into hotels and golf courses. It says: 'Hands off our lands.'' Even with an extraordinary amount of public support, passing the bill wasn't easy. It stalled for weeks in the Senate, then withstood an unsuccessful amendment filed by a prominent Republican that would have weakened its protections. Its passage came down to the wire, with rumors flying that the bill could be gutted in the final days of the legislative session. Now it will be law. Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Republican from Highland Beach and a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill, said the measure will prove to be 'one of the most historical pieces of legislation' passed to protect Florida's beloved parks. 'It's a thrill and a joy for every resident, every bird, gator, deer and every living critter in Florida,' she said. But as environmentalists and lawmakers celebrated Thursday, they were still reeling over another conservation fight that has further undermined the public's trust that protected land is protected for good. Last week, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection unveiled a proposal to trade away more than 600 acres of conserved land in the Guana River Wildlife Management Area in exchange for a patchwork of parcels across the state. Similar to the parks scandal, there was a mysterious entity at the center of the swap, known only as 'The Upland LLC.' After five days of growing public outcry in northeast Florida, plus intervention from the chief of staff to President Donald Trump, the company announced it was withdrawing the proposal. The state has repeatedly declined to reveal the identity of the person or entity behind it, both to reporters and at least one Republican state representative. That contentious land swap also came on the heels of another scrutinized deal, first revealed by the Times. That trade would have granted more than 300 acres of state forest in Hernando County to Cabot Citrus Farms, a luxury golf developer. A top staffer in DeSantis' office helped add that proposal to an agenda of the state Cabinet at the last minute, records showed. Earlier this month, though, the state environmental agency revealed that that deal, too, had died after the golf developer walked away. Gossett-Seidman said the Guana land swap proposal showed there's more work needed to bolster state laws around public land conservation. She said she's going to prioritize that issue during next year's legislative session to 'shut down all the end-arounds' used to develop protected areas. 'We don't want to lose that little bit of Old Florida that we have left.'
