Destroying Florida state parks at the behest of Governor RONALD DION DeSANTIS, our former Congressman, is a stench in the nostrils of our Nation. Who among us would disagree? From South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
A greedy and gross assault on Florida’s parks | Editorial
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection unveiled a plan dubbed the Great Outdoors initiative that proposes bringing golf courses, pickleball courts and more to state parks across Florida, which has sparked statewide outrage. Draft plans detail possible changes to South Florida state parks, such as the Oleta River State Park and Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park.
There’s a nice little beachfront park that the state describes as “the last example of an undeveloped coastal ecosystem in Broward County.” If a fast-moving scheme attributed to the governor’s office barrels through, it will be a lost example of Florida’s natural heritage. Other state parks are targeted for even more extensive damage.
The Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park at Dania Beach is named for two civil rights heroes who were instrumental in enabling Black residents to enjoy public beaches that had been barred to them for generations.
That’s another reason for South Florida to protest the exploitation that Gov. Ron DeSantis has in mind for Mizell-Johnson and eight other state parks.
The money-grubbing scheme includes massive golf courses, disc golf courses, two commercial lodges with up to 350 rooms each and pickleball courts at eight parks. It is the worst degradation ever aimed at a state park system rated as one of the nation’s best. The so-called “Great Outdoors Initiative” is gross, not great.
Pickleball ventures
Pickleball is the proposed despoilment at Mizell-Johnson. However popular it is, it should be the province of Broward cities (where adding a pickleball stadiumin Fort Lauderdale’s Snyder Park has been controversial as well). The state has no business in that business.
Elsewhere, plans would cause serious habitat loss, worst of all at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Stuart. The ruination there would include two 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole course affecting scrub forest lands both east and west of the Brightline railroad tracks that run through the park. More than 1,000 acres of habitat would be sacrificed to golf, as if Florida’s existing 1,250 public and private courses aren’t enough.
The ironically named Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) gave less than one week’s notice of eight hearings to be held simultaneously from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27. After widespread public outrage, the hearings were moved to Sept. 2 after what the DEP called “overwhelming interest.” The department now says it is looking for larger venues.
The ironically named Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) gave less than one week’s notice of eight hearings to be held simultaneously from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27. After widespread public outrage, the hearings were moved to Sept. 2 after what the DEP called “overwhelming interest.” The department now says it is looking for larger venues.
On a path to destruction
At Anastasia State Park in St. Johns County, in what environmental leaders regard as the second most damaging proposal, a commercial lodge, disc golf course and pickleball courts would ravage the marine hammock.
The third most destructive project is proposed for Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin, where there would be a lodge of 350 rooms, disc golf in scrubby flatwoods, and pickleball. It takes special gall to push something like that on a nature preserve. None of the parks are so remote as to need onsite hotel-style lodging.
There has never been such a threat to Florida’s nationally praised, award-winning network of 175 state parks, historic memorials and walking trails.
From the system’s inception, it has been properly devoted to the twin purposes of appropriate public recreation and protection of natural resources. They are not inconsistent when the recreation consists of traditional outdoor activities such as swimming, camping, fishing, boating, picnicking and hiking. A few parks have cabins. Many have tent sites.
Most state park functions are quiet and considerate of the environment. Florida parks are no place for pickleball. Nature preserves are no place for golf courses, with their huge demands for irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides.
At Anastasia State Park in St. Johns County, in what environmental leaders regard as the second most damaging proposal, a commercial lodge, disc golf course and pickleball courts would ravage the marine hammock.
The third most destructive project is proposed for Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin, where there would be a lodge of 350 rooms, disc golf in scrubby flatwoods, and pickleball. It takes special gall to push something like that on a nature preserve. None of the parks are so remote as to need onsite hotel-style lodging.
There has never been such a threat to Florida’s nationally praised, award-winning network of 175 state parks, historic memorials and walking trails.
From the system’s inception, it has been properly devoted to the twin purposes of appropriate public recreation and protection of natural resources. They are not inconsistent when the recreation consists of traditional outdoor activities such as swimming, camping, fishing, boating, picnicking and hiking. A few parks have cabins. Many have tent sites.
Most state park functions are quiet and considerate of the environment. Florida parks are no place for pickleball. Nature preserves are no place for golf courses, with their huge demands for irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides.
An obscene public gesture
The initial hearing schedule was an obscene gesture in the public’s face.
“I have never heard of this type of consolidation of a series of public meetings,” said Virginia Sherlock, an environmental attorney in Stuart, of the Aug. 27 presentations. “Since the meetings are limited to one hour on a weekday, it’s clear that working citizens are not likely to be able to attend and the amount of time available for public comment after the FDEP ‘presentation’ will be entirely inadequate.”
The entire plan recalls a 2011 proposal, advanced by former Gov. Rick Scott, that would have let the golfer and course designer Jack Nicklaus build courses in Florida parks. Public outrage killed that, and the legislative sponsor withdrew the plan.
There is no equivalent legislation on file for the 2025 session. However, DeSantis apparently plans to proceed without any. The DEP did not respond to our question about that.
It’s noteworthy that DeSantis is getting unaccustomed pushback from his own Republican political establishment. The objectors include Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and at least four other Republican state senators; Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson; Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis; and U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz, a likely candidate for governor in 2026.
“Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should,” said Simpson, another likely candidate.
In the coming days, DEP should announce new, larger locations for its public presentations to take place Sept. 2. The public ought to fill even these larger sites to give the DEP the answer it needs to hear — not just no, but hell no.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.
Originally Published:
The initial hearing schedule was an obscene gesture in the public’s face.
“I have never heard of this type of consolidation of a series of public meetings,” said Virginia Sherlock, an environmental attorney in Stuart, of the Aug. 27 presentations. “Since the meetings are limited to one hour on a weekday, it’s clear that working citizens are not likely to be able to attend and the amount of time available for public comment after the FDEP ‘presentation’ will be entirely inadequate.”
The entire plan recalls a 2011 proposal, advanced by former Gov. Rick Scott, that would have let the golfer and course designer Jack Nicklaus build courses in Florida parks. Public outrage killed that, and the legislative sponsor withdrew the plan.
There is no equivalent legislation on file for the 2025 session. However, DeSantis apparently plans to proceed without any. The DEP did not respond to our question about that.
It’s noteworthy that DeSantis is getting unaccustomed pushback from his own Republican political establishment. The objectors include Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and at least four other Republican state senators; Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson; Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis; and U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz, a likely candidate for governor in 2026.
“Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should,” said Simpson, another likely candidate.
In the coming days, DEP should announce new, larger locations for its public presentations to take place Sept. 2. The public ought to fill even these larger sites to give the DEP the answer it needs to hear — not just no, but hell no.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.
I'd support a public pool or something like that... but they don't want anything that costs money to maintain because they're anti tax in that regard. If one penny comes from a rich person and causes someone who is not rich to enjoy themselves.. that's a big injustice. If the pool was a good source of revenue for someone with money already.. that would be just fine. The compromise? A pickleball court. Talk about doing something just to do it. I don't even know what in the hell pickleball is
ReplyDeleteIt's all going to be wiped out eventually so.. whatever. If they just want to do something just to say they did something and piss people off.. whatever.
ReplyDelete