Development such as golf courses, pickleball courts and luxury lodges would be prohibited at Florida state parks under legislation passed Wednesday by the state House following a public outcry against such projects that were pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.
The vote was 115-0 for the measure, which now goes to the Senate, where a similar bill is moving through committees. Supporters said loud public reaction and protests last year against what DeSantis called the Great Outdoors Initiative was a key factor in the governor’s subsequent decision to shelve it.
The legislation, supporters said, will ensue it doesn’t happen again.
“The public outcry, you could probably hear it all the way up to the moon or Mars,” said Rep. Lindsay Cross, a Democrat from St. Petersburg who attended some protests. The bill, she added, will “make sure our wild Florida stays wild.”
The bill doesn’t ban all types of development. But it requires that any projects be “conservation-based recreational uses” that support things like hiking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, nature study and other similar activities, according to a House staff analysis.
“Any use or construction activity must be conducted in a manner that avoids impacts to a state park’s critical habitat and natural and historical resources,” the analysis adds.
The Republican governor’s Department of Environmental Protection unveiled the development plans in August for nine state parks and scheduled only a single hour of public hearings before moving the projects forward. Hundreds of people attended protests at the parks and in Tallahassee, many carried signs with slogans such as “Save Don’t Pave” and “Parks Over Profit.”
The House version will have to be reconciled with the Senate version, which differs in several ways, including what environmental groups call a loophole that could open the door to golf courses and other development in some areas of parks.
“The environmentalists are saying they would like the language to be a little tighter,” said the main Senate sponsor, Republican Gayle Harrell, who noted time is running short to pass the bill before the Legislature’s scheduled May 2 adjournment.
Still, Harrell’s bill has cleared two Senate committees unanimously so far. It is not clear where DeSantis stands on the legislation, but the bills both have broad bipartisan support.
“Our state parks are precious,” Democratic Rep. Allison Tant said. “We have our state parks that represent the real Florida.”