Save Our Florida State Parks

August 23, 2024

Update:

This plan that would have damaged the 9 state parks has gone "back to the drawing board." This is thanks to a statewide effort and pushback. Sadly, this is far from over. This plan was made in closed door meetings, yet plenty of plans for development of natural Florida are ongoing and known to the public. We will continue to support our natural Florida and resist needless development.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection headed by an appointee under Desantis released a plan to sell out several Florida State Parks to hotels, glamping, pickle ball, disco golf.

This includes adding pickleball courts and disc golf course to two state parks within the Tampa Bay area: Hillsborough River State Park and Honeymoon Island State Park. The following are other plans for State Parks across the state:

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

Knowing that this would cause a backlash, the DEP gave just one week for the plans to be reviewed before public meetings across the state on Tuesday August 27 with the public being allowed to speak from 3pm to 4pm eastern time with commentors getting 3 minutes to talk at the following locations:

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 First 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, 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 Circle, Santa Rosa Beach

It's important to protect our Florida parks that provide a watershed and ecosystem to a diverse range of wildlife. Not cater to pickleball and hotels.

If you would like to send an email check these out via Friends of the Everglades and the Florida Wildlife Federation:

Send a message to state lawmakers — Save Florida's State Parks! - Friends of the Everglades

Action: State Parks Threat • Florida Wildlife Federation

For a change.org petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-great-outdoors-initiative-save-florida-s-state-parks-from-harmful-developments?source_location=tag_

For a limited time, our pinback buttons regarding this situation will be free. While the buttons wouldn't get here before Tuesday, it's important to keep up the fight to save natural Florida.