Governor Ron DeSantis is shaking things up with a bold proposal to transform state parks across Florida, from Miami to the Panhandle.
His plan? Introducing golf courses and adding amenities like 350-room hotels and pickleball courts. These plans have sparked a wave of concern among environmentalists worried about the potential damage to the state’s natural habitats.
Wildlife at Risk
Julie Wraithmell, the executive director of Audubon Florida, voiced serious concerns about the impact of these developments on wildlife.
She highlighted, “State parks are the last strongholds for a lot of wildlife in rapidly urbanizing communities in Florida.” The survival of several endangered species, including the Florida scrub-jay, could be threatened by these changes.
The Value of Natural Sanctuaries
Wraithmell stressed the critical role state parks play in preserving Florida’s natural legacy, saying, “They have an outsized importance — not just to wildlife but also as places where Floridians and visitors can continue to see what Florida was like.”
It’s about keeping a piece of the state’s wild spirit alive for everyone.
Making the Outdoors More Accessible
According to those who favor the project, it is being done to make the outdoors more accessible to the public. However, those who are against it don’t see how this is possible.
Golf courses can be quite exclusive, whereas parks are primarily free and can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. This is where all the backlash started, as people don’t want accessible parks to be turned into exclusive golf courses.
Increasing Outdoor Recreation Facilities
The hope was to increase the number of outdoor recreation facilities for people to access. This includes things such as golf, pickleball, and paddling. While this is needed, some believe that using parks for this is taking things too far.
Many would prefer the state to keep its parks and natural beauty spots and create these outdoor recreational facilities elsewhere. This is so that wildlife and nature aren’t disturbed.
Pushback from DeSantis’ Own Party
Despite usually enjoying robust support from Republican lawmakers, Governor DeSantis is encountering surprising opposition from his party on this initiative.
It’s unusual for him to face such resistance from GOP colleagues, signaling a significant contention around the proposed park overhauls.
State Parks: A Common Ground
The proposed changes to the parks have struck a chord with Floridians across all political divides, showing that the parks’ preservation has a unique, bipartisan appeal.
The state’s park system, recognized on a national level, is a beloved part of Florida’s landscape.
Broad Criticism Over New Plans
When the Florida Department of Environmental Protection unveiled the new plans, it wasn’t just environmentalists who were upset.
Kathleen Passidomo, the outgoing Republican Senate President, took to social media to say, “Our vision [for state parks] did not contemplate the addition of golf courses and hotels, which in my view are not in-line with the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of nature.”
Protesting in Parks
The situation with Florida’s parks being turned into golf courses has become so bad that protestors have taken to the parks to express their feelings about these proposals.
Many protestors held up signs with wildlife art on them. These had been created by Veronica Steiner and were used to tell DeSantis what they thought of his plans, especially the protection of wildlife.
Administration Defends Its Proposal
Responding to the backlash, DeSantis’ spokesperson Jeremy Redfern invoked Teddy Roosevelt’s ideals about public parks.
He said, “Teddy Roosevelt believed that public parks were for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and we agree with him.”
DeSantis Is Backpedaling
Since this statement, DeSantis has been backpedaling over the latest announcement. He claims the news was leaked to left-wing groups to try and form a narrative against him.
DeSantis claims that this will attract more visitors to Florida’s state parks; however, the backlash shows that a lot of people are unhappy with the decision and want to keep the parks exactly as they are.
More to It Than Meets the Eye
The issue is that there is more to these plans than meets the eye. DeSantis can claim it is an undeveloped idea, but plans, documents, and public meetings had already been scheduled before the leak.
DeSantis is attempting to downplay how far along these plans were to the public. Had they not been leaked, who knows how much further they would have gone and if it would have been too far along for anything to be done about it.
Political Struggles for DeSantis
This latest decision adds to DeSantis’s political struggles. His endorsed candidates underperformed in the local school board elections, and he is being politically isolated due to his feud with Randy Fine.
As both sides of the political spectrum oppose DeSantis’ bid to turn some of Florida’s parks into golf courses and hotels, the DeSantis camp is concerned about what this could mean for his political career.
DeSantis and the Environment
In May 2024, DeSantis signed legislation to eliminate Florida’s requirement that climate change be considered when determining energy policy.
This caused a significant amount of backlash from environmental leaders and climate activists. Florida is at the height of climate problems, such as an increase in hurricanes and severe heat, and many believe this new legislation is making matters worse. As DeSantis wants to build hotels in parks, many see this as a bigger sign of him not caring about the environment.
Not Taking Away Green Space
DeSantis has claimed that these plans won’t take away any green space, but those who oppose them don’t see how this is possible, especially as there are plans to build hotels in some of the parks.
He has also said that if nothing is done about these plans, he is okay with that. Naturally, many critics are dubious about these remarks, especially as the plans were a lot further ahead than the public was initially led to believe.
Specific Parks Facing Major Changes
The debate heats up with specifics: Critics argue that the planned developments would significantly disrupt the ecological and visual harmony of places like Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
Eric Draper, former head of the Florida Park Service, points out the untouched beauty of this area, emphasizing its rarity on Florida’s developed Gulf Coast.
Topsail’s Future Hangs in the Balance
At Topsail, the introduction of new sports facilities and a large hotel might shift the park from a tranquil retreat to a bustling tourist spot.
Concerns are growing about whether these extensive developments are appropriate for such ecologically sensitive areas.
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Also Threatened
The situation is similar at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where new golf courses would lead to significant alterations, including the removal of a boardwalk and observation tower.
This has rallied locals and nature enthusiasts, resulting in a petition with tens of thousands of signatures demanding a halt to the developments.
Pulling out of the Project
The Department of Environmental Protection has since confirmed in an email that the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation has withdrawn its support for the project.
This group was set to carry out the project at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, but it has since been removed from agency review.
Big Golf Names Involved
Some of the biggest names in golf, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, are said to be involved with this project. Should the proposals go ahead, both are set to be involved in designing the courses.
There was set to be a Tiger course and a Jack course; however, it is unknown whether this will go ahead as planned or if the two will drop out due to the backlash.
Doing the Work for Free
Nicklaus has previously been involved with designing over 300 golf courses worldwide, so this wouldn’t have been an entirely new thing for him to take on.
He was even prepared to do the entire thing for free, as he saw it as a charitable cause. However, as there is no longer any certainty that this project will go ahead, it doesn’t look like Nicklaus or Woods will be involved in it.
Not the First Controversy Over Park Commercialization
Florida has seen this before—past administrations have floated ideas to monetize state parks through various commercial ventures, all of which were eventually shelved due to public disapproval.
The consistent pushback suggests a deep-seated community desire to keep these parks untouched by extensive commercialization.
Back to the Drawing Board
According to DeSantis, it is now back to the drawing board, and many might be delighted to hear that there currently aren’t any plans to turn the parks into golf courses for the rest of this year.
The new plan is to listen to everyone’s concerns before deciding how best to proceed. He has admitted that the plans hadn’t been fully decided when the news was leaked, which is why these concerns are now being addressed.
Public Meetings and Advocacy
As public meetings approach, advocates like Julie Wraithmell are optimistic that public sentiment will play a crucial role in the decision-making process.
She said, “Absolutely there is demand for more people to enjoy state parks. The solution is not to try to cram as many people into a park as we can…. The solution is to create more state parks.” This reflects a broader call for thoughtful expansion rather than intensive development of existing parklands.
