TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — State parks will be protected from pickleball courts, golf courses and hotel developments under a bill passed unanimously by Florida homes on Thursday in response to protests over plans for those projects across the state last summer.
The bill is currently heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis for final approval, and his office has not said whether he will sign it. The Republican governor said he has distanced himself from the proposal following the backlash and has never seen or approved plans to allow resorts and sports facilities on state park lands. Desantis leads and appoints heads of all state agencies.
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The issue has created a dilemma for Republican lawmakers who have traditionally defended the governor’s administration, increasing scrutiny of DeSantis’s records on environmental protection.
State park protections are reflected in the bill “voiced and clearly,” state Rep. John Snyder said.
Snyder, who represents the district about an hour north of Palm Beach, said: He noted that the park is also enjoyed by millions of residents and tourists.
The bill does not prohibit any kind of development. However, it should be “conservation-based recreational use” that supports research into hiking, swimming, horse riding, boating, nature and other similar activities.
Snyder said the language of the bill was enhanced by an amendment proposed in the Senate, and the name change for Tallahassee State Parks was also added.
When the Great Outdoors initiative was leaked last August, it was first wind that Desantis’ Environment Agency was looking for a recreational development plan in the state park. Hundreds of people protested at the parks and state environmental headquarters, getting signs like “parks that outweigh the profits” and “don’t save.”
Before the month ended, the governor said the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s plans were “back to the drawings.”
Then Environment Secretary Sean Hamilton ultimately resigned after facing intense scrutiny and bipartisan criticism of the initiative. In November, DeSantis appointed Alexis Lambert, the new head of the agency.
