Fort De Soto filming proposal sparks environmental concerns
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The entrance to Pinellas County's Fort De Soto Park. Photo: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
The producers behind the TV series adaptation of Florida history novel "A Land Remembered" proposed filming a scene involving hundreds of cows, pigs and horses at Pinellas County's Fort De Soto Park.
Why it matters: Environmental advocates are concerned it would wreak havoc on the environmentally sensitive chain of barrier islands.
Threat level: The park is home to state-threatened birds, including Wilson's and snowy plovers, that would be at the peak of nesting season during the proposed shoot dates next month.
- It's also become a hotspot for state-threatened gopher tortoises, with a recent survey locating nearly 300 burrows throughout the park.
- "This seems very poorly timed, very poorly thought-out," Eckerd College environmental science and biology professor Beth Forys said.
State of play: The proposal, submitted last month to the Visit St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission, remains under review by the county and the film commission, spokespeople said.
- The details are also in flux as the production team works through how to minimize the potential environmental impacts, members of the team told Axios.
- For example, the series has abandoned plans to build a fort wall that Forys told Axios was near a Wilson's plover nest and what will likely become a nesting site for a pair of American oystercatchers.
- "Everything we were planning on doing we're no longer doing except for some very minor stuff," showrunner Todd Wiseman Jr. said, adding that they may pivot away from Fort De Soto entirely.
Yes, but: Producers declined to share the latest version of their plans, saying the details were largely dependent on a meeting Monday with local and state officials and an environmental consulting firm.
Zoom in: The proposal, obtained by Axios through a public records request, calls for "large-scale animal staging (600+ cattle, horses) and specialized infrastructure to authentically portray 1860s life and historical events."
- A "Spanish landing" in the East Beach area would include the construction of animal pens on a walking and biking trail.
- A mock-up also shows crates and tents atop dunes right off the beach. Numerous trucks and trailers would be on site.
Friction point: The pen locations are within the immediate vicinity of three gopher tortoise burrows, and the only path there is lined with even more, Forys said.
- Livestock hooves can also cause extensive damage to dunes, birds that lay eggs on the ground and marine sea turtles.
Between the lines: The production team in the last month contacted Audubon Florida, whose staff warned the team of the potential impacts and suggested alternate locations, executive director Julie Wraithmell said.
- "But I know they're eager for a less-developed beach site," Wraithmell said.
What they're saying: Wiseman Jr. emphasized that he cares deeply about the environment and wants to do justice to a story about conservation.
- "The worst thing that can happen is to make an environment salvation show and mess up the environment," he said.
- "Then they need to move this project to another location," Forys said.