Latest news with #TheGreatOutdoorsInitiative
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should Florida's State Parks be developed?
Florida's state parks offer some of the most unique experiences in the country. From fishing, camping, hiking and horseback riding to spotting and admiring some of our more unique wildlife like manatees and alligators there is literally something for everyone. Not to mention only a handful of states can offer pristine surfing locations in their state parks. That's why we here at the USA Today Network-Florida feel so strongly about preserving our state parks and supporting , or the "State Park Preservation Act." The bill would protect our state parks from developers, and prevent the construction of things like hotels, golf courses, pickleball courts and other commercial buildings in Florida state parks. Protect our Florida state parks: Florida must protect state parks. New bill is a step in the right direction. | Our View The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Gayle Harrell, is in response to a proposal last summer by Gov. Ron DeSantis called the "The Great Outdoors Initiative," that would allow commercial development in parts of Florida's state parks. We want to hear from you. Please take part in our poll which will stay open until April 10: Do you support the State Parks Preservation Act? Have you visited a Florida state park in the last year? Please let us know in the comments section which state park is your favorite and why. Contact Torres at jtorres@ You can follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Poll: Should developers be allowed to build in Florida state parks?
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to protect state parks from development clears first hurdle in Florida Legislature
A multitude of conservation groups stood with state Sen. Gayle Harrell Tuesday as she introduced a bill to protect Florida's award-winning state parks from development such as golf courses, tennis courts and luxury lodges. The Senate's Environment and Natural Resources Committee cleared the measure with a unanimous vote; the bill (SB 80, the State Parks Preservation Act) has two more committees before it can be introduced on the Senate floor. Harrell, a Stuart Republican, filed the bill in response to "The Great Outdoors Initiative" that the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released last summer. After protests against the plan erupted across the state in August, Gov. Ron DeSantis shelved it. Harrell's legislation came as a stunning GOP rebuke to the DeSantis administration's idea, released last year, of conservation-based recreation. It proposed a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, 350-room luxury lodges at Anastasia State Park in St. Johns County and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Walton County, along with a flying disc course at the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee. They'd all be forbidden at state parks under Harrell's bill. DeSantis has said the plan "was leaked. It was never approved by me. I never saw that ... If people don't want improvements, then don't do it." Her measure ensures, Harrell told fellow lawmakers, 'that we are preserving our state parks for what they were originally intended for' and 'clearly defines conservation-based public outdoor recreational uses.' State Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, has filed an identical bill (HB 209) in the House. There, it's been assigned to the Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee and State Affairs Committee; it's not yet been heard in either. The legislation sets mandates for DEP management of 175 state parks, creating a straitjacket for park management in which the department is able only to promote traditional recreational activities and amenities, which it defines. It also requires input from local advisory groups and written management plans every ten years. At least two public hearings will be held while the management plan is developed. The plans include components that park managers will have to develop: Habitat restoration, hydrological preservation, cultural and historic resources audits, and habitat enhancements for imperiled species. A representative for Audubon Florida, a conservation group that helped create the first state park in 1916 (Royal Park, now part of the Everglades National Park), said the measure provides guardrails for parks management, updates management practices, and 'ensures transparencies and opportunities for (public) participation." 'It draws a bright line between uses that are and are not appropriate for these vulnerable lands,' Beth Alvi said. The only objections raised during Tuesday's meeting came from supporters who said, although well meaning, the bill did not go far enough to protect the state's parks. Indeed, more than 60 environmental groups called on Harrell and Snyder to strengthen their proposal. Gil Smart, a director of Friends of the Everglades, said he fears loopholes for parks to be exploited could be created if the Legislature tries to list every prohibited use: 'We can't possibly list every inappropriate use, but we can cover our bases by explicitly stating we will not permit uses that disturb and harm the resources of our state parks,' Smart said. The bill must go before the Senate's Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and Fiscal Policy Committee. Dates for those hearings have not yet been set. The 2025 regular legislative session starts March 4. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@ and is on X as @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Bill to protect Florida state parks from development gets first OK
