Are changes coming to Florida’s state park system?

Are changes coming to Florida’s state park system?

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ environmental agency is considering plans to turn some of Florida’s vaunted park space into areas that feature more recreational amenities — including more lodges, golfing, pickleball courts and disc golf courses, according to a news release sent by the state this week.

But details were scarce late Tuesday. What is known is that the plans involve at least nine parks, including two in the Tampa Bay area: Honeymoon Island and Hillsborough River state parks.

On Monday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said the initiative is meant to support Florida’s “outdoor recreation economy” and add new lodging options. But without further elaboration, some environmental groups say they fear sensitive habitats on state park land could be threatened by creating more recreational areas.

While state officials acknowledged they received questions from the Tampa Bay Times about what changes are being considered, they didn’t answer calls, texts and emails seeking more detail by Tuesday afternoon. The state’s parks division, however, did announce it would host eight public meetings Aug. 27 for nine parks where the state is proposing changes.

Staff members of the Division of Recreation and Parks are apparently set to scatter across the state — from Miami to the Panhandle — for meetings scheduled from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. that Tuesday. Meetings for six parks in Eastern Standard Time will occur simultaneously. Meetings at two Panhandle-area parks, in a different time zone, will start an hour later. There appears to be no virtual option for any of the meetings listed on the state’s public notice.

The Times obtained copies of leaked documents from an unknown source detailing the park plans. Those same documents were circulated more broadly and became the source of commentary and debate on social media, including among environmentalists who worried about the way the proposals could upend pristine open space. The Times has been unable to confirm the authenticity of the plans but they were printed on state stationery that appeared authentic.

One document shows plans to replace scrub habitat at Jonathan Dickinson State Park with two 18-hole golf courses, a 9-hole golf course and a clubhouse. The state has not answered questions about the document.

Water flows on the Hillsborough River through Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa, one of Florida's first state parks.
Water flows on the Hillsborough River through Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa, one of Florida’s first state parks.

Tampa Bay residents who want to learn about the proposed changes at Honeymoon Island and Hillsborough River would be unable to attend both meetings in their entirety, with one meeting slated for Tampa and the other in Clearwater.

“By scheduling these hearings with very little notice, it makes it appear that the department is not that interested in what the public has to say,” said Eric Draper, who served as the director of the Florida state parks between 2017 and 2021.

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“The intent of the law and even the Florida parks service’s own operations is to engage the public in the actual decision-making process,” Draper told the Times. “This gives the appearance of a decision that’s already been made, and they’re just going through the formalities.”

Draper said his favorite beach is at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on Santa Rosa Beach. If he wanted to attend the meeting to hear about the state’s proposed changes, he would have to drive more than two hours.

Agendas for the eight meetings, obtained by the Tampa Bay Times directly from the parks office in Tallahassee, are also scarce in their details. Each one follows the same format: The date, time and location of the meeting, followed by three bullet points: “Brief presentation, public comment, adjournment.”

If somebody wants to make a comment about the changes coming to a state park and they can make the meeting, they’ll have three minutes.

Below are the locations for each state park proposal meeting scheduled for Aug. 27:

  • Hillsborough River State Park, Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., Tampa, Community Room D
  • Honeymoon Island State Park, The District, 11141 U.S. 19 N., Suite 204, Clearwater
  • Oleta River State Park, Florida International University, Biscayne Bay campus, Kovens Conference Center, Room 114, 3000 NE 151 Street North, Miami.
  • Jonathan Dickinson State Park, The Flagler of Stuart, 201 SW Flagler Ave., River Room, Stuart
  • Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Downtown Event Center, 416 NE First St., Fort Lauderdale, Lecture Hall, Building C, second floor (Enter at Main Entrance B — clearly marked on the outside of the building.)
  • Anastasia State Park, First Coast Technical College, The Character Counts Conference Center, Building C, 2980 Collins Ave., St. Augustine
  • Camp Helen State Park, Lyndell Conference Center, 423 Lyndell Lane, Panama City Beach
  • Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Grayton Beach State Park, Watercolor Inn & Resort, Watercolor LakeHouse, 34 Goldenrod Circle, Santa Rosa Beach

Times staff writer Romy Ellenbogen contributed to this report.

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