Audubon Protects Florida State Parks from Development Proposals

This week, Audubon staff, members, and outdoor enthusiasts celebrated the defeat of a suite of proposals that would have built golf courses, hotels, pickleball courts, and more in nine of Florida’s busiest state parks.

The Development Proposals

From three golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park to 350-room hotels at Topsail Preserve and Grayton Beach state parks; pickleball and disc golf courses at Honeymoon Island and Hillsborough River to glamping at Camp Helen State Park; the development proposals touched nine state parks across the Sunshine State (for a complete list of parks and proposals, click here). The public had only one week to organize before eight meetings (scheduled during the work day, with no virtual component, and all at the same time) convened to take comment on the proposals.

State parks have always balanced nature-based recreation with resource protection, and Florida’s is the only system in the country to win the national gold medal for state parks FOUR TIMES. State parks protect Florida's most scenic landscapes, safeguarding resources not only for wildlife, but also for water quality, fire protection, flood control, drinking water supply, and more. Often, they protect some of the last, best remaining examples of rare habitats and views left in our rapidly urbanizing state. Many of these parks are already operating at peak visitation within communities that have ample lodging, golf courses, and pickleball courts.

Florida has no shortage of places to swing a golf club, sample the continental breakfast, or try your hand at pickleball—but increasingly rare are the opportunities to spot the deep blue feathers of a Florida Scrub-Jay, witness the miracle of neotropical bird migration, or experience Florida in all its natural beauty.

Audubon Team Leaps into Action

As soon as Audubon Florida staff learned of the proposals, we began calling state officials and alerting our members to the state park threat. Immediately, responses rolled in as more than 30,000 people used our action alert to send letters to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the agency in charge of state parks, and Governor Ron DeSantis. Members of the policy team—Beth Alvi, Chris Farrell, Kelly Cox, Charles Lee, Caitlin Newcamp, and Brad Cornell—contacted stakeholders and pulled together critical information on the impacts of the proposed development, while Chapters Conservation Manager Kristen Kosik worked with our robust network of conservation leaders to coordinate public meeting attendance and Erika Zambello led the communications team's outreach efforts. The media took note: More than 80 stories ran quotes from Executive Director Julie Wraithmell, and many others quoted local leaders from Florida’s 44 Audubon chapters.

You Spoke, They Listened

Amidst the bipartisan avalanche of public support for the state parks and rejection of these development proposals, members of Florida’s state legislature, cabinet, congressional delegation and both U.S. Senators all echoed the concern expressed by their constituents.  DEP first delayed the public meetings in search of larger venues to accommodate those who wanted to share their opinions in person, then cancelled them altogether as Governor DeSantis sent the management plan amendments “back to the drawing board.” If reworked proposals are submitted, they won’t return for public comment until next year.

Looking Towards the Future

Audubon congratulates the passionate conservationists and park lovers across the state who spoke out for these special places over the last week. You wrote letters, shared updates, and called your elected officials—and it worked!

"The state parks already have a process for considering proposals, which is the ongoing unit management planning process,” says Audubon Florida Executive Director Julie Wraithmell, “It's not clear to us why proposals like these would be taken off cycle, rather than considered within the context of all of the needs of an individual park. This process already has a robust public comment period as well, making it transparent, science-based, and inclusive.”

Audubon Florida will continue to help grassroots advocates engage with park planners as this process moves forward, as well as providing expert evaluation of the potential impacts of new proposals. As Florida’s oldest statewide conservation organization, Audubon was part of the effort to create Florida’s state parks and is just as important to the survival of these special places and their wildlife today.