Florida, United States. — The golf course is not an endangered species in the Sunshine State, but the Florida scrub jay is.
And activists warn that life for the tiny blue and gray birds and many other endangered species could get much tougher if Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration follows through on a proposal to build golf courses, pickleball courts and 350-room hotels in state parks from Miami to the Panhandle.
“State parks are the last strongholds for many wildlife in Florida’s rapidly urbanizing communities,” says Julie Wraithmell, executive director of Audubon Florida.
“They have tremendous significance – not only for wildlife, but also as places where Floridians and visitors today can still see what Florida used to be like,” she said. “It’s the best of Florida.”
DeSantis enjoys the unwavering support of Republicans, who dominate the state’s politics. It is rare for DeSantis to face opposition from GOP lawmakers, and he has been known to seek revenge when it happens.
But it appears a political line is being drawn after the DeSantis administration announced plans this week to add golf courses and pickleball courts to Florida’s popular state parks.
Unlike the issues of abortion, LGBTQ rights, race and guns that have divided voters, state parks appear to hold a place in the hearts of Floridians, regardless of party affiliation. The state parks system has enjoyed national recognition for years, and people have been reluctant to alter the protected areas they enjoy.
The proposal announced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to build new sports facilities, hotels and glamping sites in nine state parks across Florida has sparked a wave of opposition, not only from nature lovers and bird watchers, but also from members of DeSantis’ cabinet, a Republican congressman and conservative state lawmakers, including outgoing Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
“Our vision (for the state parks) did not include the establishment of golf courses and hotels, which in my opinion are incompatible with the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of nature,” Passidomo wrote on X. “As far as I currently know, the proposal should not be pursued in its current form.”
A spokesman for DeSantis defended the plans – which are not yet final – and praised the administration’s investment in protecting and preserving the state’s natural resources.
“Teddy Roosevelt believed that public parks should serve the welfare and enjoyment of the people, and we agree with him,” said press secretary Jeremy Redfern. “But it’s high time we made public lands more accessible to the public.”
The Environmental Protection Agency did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
All of the parks proposed for development are located near major tourist destinations, including Miami, Tampa, Panama City and St. Augustine.
Florida’s state parks are a bastion of wilderness in a state where vast expanses of sandy beaches and mangrove forests long ago gave way to condos, motels and shopping mall souvenir shops.
Proponents say places like Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin are literally “beacons on a hill” — the preserve is known for its 25-foot-high sand dunes that rise above a stretch of the Panhandle known for its spring break destinations and military installations.
Eric Draper, former director of the Florida Park Service, said Topsail is one of the last undeveloped sections of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
In this part of the state, Draper said, “you can stand on the beach, look to your right, look to your left, and you just see a lot of condos, developments and houses. But here is a place where you can stand and look for three miles and not see a development.”
Under the new plans, Topsail will get up to four new pickleball courts, a disc golf course and a new hotel with up to 350 rooms – a size that Draper says is more like a conference center than a quiet beach resort.
Another proposal involves a golf complex at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, on the state’s southeast coast, north of West Palm Beach. Construction of the golf courses would require demolition of a boardwalk and observation tower, as well as relocation of park employee housing and offices and existing visitor cabins.
A petition on change.org against the planned golf complex at Jonathan Dickinson had collected more than 60,000 signatures by Thursday afternoon.
It’s not the first time a Republican administration has floated the idea of generating more revenue from state parks through golf courses, lodging and other attractions, but previous ideas were quickly dropped after public opposition.
In 2015, then-Governor Rick Scott’s administration introduced plans to allow ranchers to graze their herds and loggers to harvest timber on park lands.
Legendary former professional golfer Jack Nicklaus spent a long time lobbying state authorities to secure funding for his plan to build golf courses in state parks, but the effort fizzled out due to public opposition.
Wraithmell, the director of Audubon Florida, expressed hope that state officials would listen to Floridians who plan to attend public meetings next week to voice their opinions on the proposals.
“There is definitely a desire for more people to use state parks,” she said. “The solution is not to cram as many people into one park as possible… The solution is to create more state parks.”
Associated Press reporter Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed to this story.
Kate Payne is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
