What to know about Florida's state parks controversy
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St. Augustine's Anastasia State Park. Photo: Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The last week has shown just how chaotic it can get when you try to mess with Florida state parks.
Why it matters: The frenzy of pushback since plans surfaced to develop sports amenities and lodging at nine state parks underscores the galvanizing force of Florida's natural resources in a state often characterized by its divisions.
State of play: The collective opposition has had an impact. Plans to build a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County appear to be on hold, several media outlets reported over the weekend.
- Public meetings slated for Tuesday afternoon across the state were postponed "due to overwhelming interest" in the proposals, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced late Friday.
- The agency linked to a survey to gather more feedback.
Zoom in: While details on most of the plans were sparse, Florida journalists linked the golf course proposal to a Delaware-based nonprofit with ties to national veterans' charity Folds of Honor.
- The group previously pitched the idea of a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson to two Martin County elected officials, who said it was a bad idea, the Tampa Bay Times reported over the weekend.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis met with the group's founder in April, per the Times.
Catch up quick: In the five days following a Times report that pickleball courts, hotels and golf courses could be coming to nine of the state's parks, Floridians of all stripes have joined together in opposition. That includes:
- Flooding social media with art, outrage and pleas to get involved.
- An eruption of protests across the state.
- Phone calls and letter-writing campaigns to state officials.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers and cabinet members have publicly denounced the plans put forward by their own party's leader, who as recently as two years ago wielded more influence over lawmakers than any governor before him.
- "Over my dead body will there be a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park!" tweeted Congressman Brian Mast (R-Palm City).
- State Sen. Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City Beach), said state parks are a "treasure." Parks "should not be in the business of competing with private enterprise[s]," he said.
- The addition of golf courses and hotels "are not in-line" with preservation efforts, Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said, adding the proposal "should not move forward in its current form."
The other side: While DeSantis has been mum on the proposals, a spokesperson for his office told several media outlets, "It's high time we made public lands more accessible to the public."
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection released a "fact-check" on social media that confirmed the details of the plans.
- An agency spokesperson defended the rollout in a statement to the Times, saying "everything is being done in Sunshine."
Still, the public rollout has garnered its own criticism.
- Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott scolded the administration for the rushed process, calling the initial one-hour public meetings "absolutely ridiculous," per the Times.
Between the lines: This is nothing new for the DeSantis administration, under which state agencies, boards and appointees have quietly enacted controversial policies with little or no public input or explanation.
What's next: The process to change state parks relies on the Acquisition and Restoration Council, whose members represent state agencies including the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Forest Service.
- The governor gets four appointees on the board.
- The DEP has said the public meetings will be held next week but no further details were available as of Monday afternoon.