Aug 26 2024 8 mins
Our beloved Florida State Parks need your protection.
Nine of our most beautiful state parks here in Florida are being threatened by development.
The 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative led by the Governor’s Office would add golf courses, pickleball courts and huge, resort-style hotels and parking lots to our parks.
They would be cutting down the trees, filling in the swamps and marsh and paving over Florida’s natural landscapes.
This would destroy our natural ecosystems and everything we love about our beaches and parks.
The very definition of a state park is a protected area of land, yet the government is trying to hand it over to developers like it’s a piece of candy.
We can not let this happen.
Without these lands, we’d lose our much-needed outdoor spaces and Florida’s animals would lose their habitats, including their nesting grounds needed for survival.
We must all take action now.
We only have a limited number of days to stop this horrific proposal put forth by the Governor’s office and the department of environmental protection – both obviously paid off by developers.
If we let them take these first 9, the rest will follow, and soon Florida wont be Florida at all.
So, what can you do to help?
You can join the movement to stop the destruction of our state parks –
By 1 – writing, emailing and calling your state representatives, the office of environmental protection and the governor’s office.
If you visit Action: State Parks Threat • Florida Wildlife Federation you will find a pre-written form, or letter, that you can quickly customize and submit to these offices and representatives with just one click.
A second option is now available to write in – the DEP has launched a dedicated survey to collect more public feedback. Click here Great Outdoors Initiative (alchemer.com)
The third way is you can show up in person, at one of the public meetings being held regarding this initiative, to speak your voice and protest this unjust act. Due to an overwhelming response from the public, we’re awaiting new dates and times as well as larger locations to accommodate more attendees. The new meeting dates are expected to be announced soon, likely for the week of Sept. 2, 2024.
The fourth way you can fight back is to make artwork and signs – spread the word on social media, to your friends, family, and co-workers – let all Floridians know what the state government is trying to press through in just a matter of days.
This unthinkable act taken by two offices sworn to protect Florida and Floridians must be halted – save our trees, our beaches, our nesting grounds. Save our marshes and waterways, our kayak launches and nature trails. Save our campgrounds. Save Florida’s natural beauty and our historical lands.
How? I challenge each of you to click these links, take just a few minutes to voice your opinion – every person counts, every signature matters.
Link to customizable form to submit to our state offices and representatives -
Action: State Parks Threat • Florida Wildlife Federation
Link to Survey to collect public feedback on this initiative -
Great Outdoors Initiative (alchemer.com)