Yesterday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) went on damage control to defend its decision to only give the public six days to prepare to give public comment about the DeSantis administration’s plan to consider developing nine state parks—including Hillsborough River State Park and Honeymoon Island in Tampa Bay.
The developments announced Wednesday in the “2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative” include up to four pickleball courts and a disc golf course at Hillsborough River State Park and up to four pickleball courts at Honeymoon Island State Park.
Elsewhere in Florida, the proposed development is even more drastic. In part, the state has proposed:
set for Tuesday, Aug. 27.
A former director of Florida’s state parks even told Max Chesnes and Romy Ellenbogen that the DEP might be operating outside of the legal process and the park systems own manual as it moves to update park management plans. “This appears to be something that has been planned in secret,” Eric Draper, who ran the parks between 2017-2021 added.
Although it's not clear how much these developments would cost or who would win the contracts to develop Florida’s state parks, the grassroots organization VoteWater has questioned whether or not developers are whispering in the governor’s ear.
As Craig Pittman noted, DeSantis’ communications director, Bryan Griffin—who co-founded Flower Crown Kombucha in Tampa Heights—wouldn't answer reporters’ questions about the rushed public input process and only went to Twitter to call the plans “an exciting new initiative.”
In an email to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay ahead of this reporter's Friday radio show about the proposed development, DeSantis Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern wrote:
The in-person-only meetings to discuss proposed development at Florida’s state parks are all on Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 3 p.m.-4 p.m. local time (some of the parks are in the panhandle)
The Springs Council has encouraged anyone who cannot making a meeting to send an email to their state representative, urging them “to take a strong position and to show up and stand with their communities at the DEP meetings.”
The Audubon Society of Florida has also created a portal where users can send their elected representatives an email saying they "do not support adding golf courses, pickleball courts, hotels, disc golf, and more in nine of Florida's state parks." Public meeting details (these meetings have been postponed, details above).
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The developments announced Wednesday in the “2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative” include up to four pickleball courts and a disc golf course at Hillsborough River State Park and up to four pickleball courts at Honeymoon Island State Park.
Elsewhere in Florida, the proposed development is even more drastic. In part, the state has proposed:
- A 350-room hotel, pickleball courts and disc golf at Anastasia State Park in St. Johns County
- Cabins or glamping at Camp Helen State Park near Panama City Beach
- Pickleball courts at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Hollywood
- The removal of the iconic observation tower at Martin County’s Jonathan Dickinson State Park where the state also wants to build three golf courses.
- A disc golf course and four pickleball courts, plus cabins and “glamping” at Miami-Dade County’s Oleta River State Park
- A 350-room “lodge” along with four pickleball courts and a disc golf course at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, plus cabins, four pickleball courts and a disc golf course at Grayton Beach State Park in Walton County.
UPDATE: Late in the afternoon on Friday, Aug. 23, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection cited “overwhelming interest with the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative” in a decision to reschedule public comment about proposed development at state parks. DEP wrote on social media that, “New meeting dates will be announced soon, with meetings expected the week of Sept. 2, 2024.” Until DEP announces new meeting details, it has created a webpage to gather feedback. Concerned citizens may still use resources from the Audubon Society and Florida Springs Council to contact their elected representative.What’s more is that the meetings—listed at the bottom of this post—are all happening at the same time on the same day.
A former director of Florida’s state parks even told Max Chesnes and Romy Ellenbogen that the DEP might be operating outside of the legal process and the park systems own manual as it moves to update park management plans. “This appears to be something that has been planned in secret,” Eric Draper, who ran the parks between 2017-2021 added.
Although it's not clear how much these developments would cost or who would win the contracts to develop Florida’s state parks, the grassroots organization VoteWater has questioned whether or not developers are whispering in the governor’s ear.
As Craig Pittman noted, DeSantis’ communications director, Bryan Griffin—who co-founded Flower Crown Kombucha in Tampa Heights—wouldn't answer reporters’ questions about the rushed public input process and only went to Twitter to call the plans “an exciting new initiative.”
In an email to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay ahead of this reporter's Friday radio show about the proposed development, DeSantis Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern wrote:
The Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Parks are looking at recommendations for ways to enhance Florida’s parks to make them more visitor-friendly. There will be multiple phases of public discussion to evaluate stakeholders' feedback. The agency’s initial recommendations are based on public input and proposals—from pickleball to golf to additional bike trails and camping access; the proposals vary and may not all be approved. Finally, recommendations will be evaluated, and no final decisions will be made until the public comment and review process has been completed.Florida Master Naturalist and activist Ryan Worthington went on his Instagram page (@the_fl_excursionist) to share the dates, times and locations of each meeting, listed below.
Teddy Roosevelt believed that public parks were for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and we agree with him. No administration has done more than we have to conserve Florida’s natural resources, grow conservation lands, and keep our environment pristine. But it's high time we made public lands more accessible to the public.
The in-person-only meetings to discuss proposed development at Florida’s state parks are all on Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 3 p.m.-4 p.m. local time (some of the parks are in the panhandle)
The Springs Council has encouraged anyone who cannot making a meeting to send an email to their state representative, urging them “to take a strong position and to show up and stand with their communities at the DEP meetings.”
The Audubon Society of Florida has also created a portal where users can send their elected representatives an email saying they "do not support adding golf courses, pickleball courts, hotels, disc golf, and more in nine of Florida's state parks." Public meeting details (these meetings have been postponed, details above).
- Hillsborough River State Park Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library—2902 W Bearss Ave., Tampa
- Honeymoon Island The District, 11141 U.S.-Hwy 9 N, Suite 204, Clearwater
- Anastasia State Park First Coast Technical College – The Character Counts Conference Center, Building C – 2980 Collins Ave., St. Augustine
- Camp Helen State Park Lyndell Conference Center—423 Lyndell Lane, Panama City Beach
- Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Lecture Hall at Downtown Event Center—416 NE 1st St., Fort Lauderdale (Building C—2nd Floor, enter at Main Entrance B – clearly marked on outside of building)
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park The Flagler of Stuart—201 SW Flagler Ave., River Room, Stuart
- Oleta River State Park Florida International University (FIU), Biscayne Bay Campus, Kovens Conference Center—Room 114, 3000 NE 151 St., North Miami
- Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Grayton Beach State Park Watercolor Inn & Resort 34 Goldenrod Cir. Santa Rosa Beach
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