Victory for State Park Preservation
In a remarkable turn of events, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed Wednesday that he will sign legislation prohibiting the very development he secretly supported—building golf courses, hotels, and other commercial amenities on Florida state park land.
- When a Tampa Bay Times reporter asked if he would sign the bill following a Tampa roundtable event, DeSantis simply replied “Yes” without further elaboration.
Why this matters: This legislation, known as the State Park Preservation Act (CS/SB 80: State Land Management, combined with CS/HB 209), passed both the House and Senate unanimously last week. The bill specifically prevents adding “golf courses, resort-style lodges, and such things as pickleball courts in state parks” while maintaining “conservation-based recreational uses.”
Backroom Battles
In a phone interview earlier this week, State Senator Don Gaetz revealed that the governor’s office continued pushing for commercialization throughout the legislative session, making the bill’s passage particularly significant.
“One of the best things we did was to not pass a bad bill. There was legislation the governor was promoting to allow our state parks to be commercialized,” Gaetz stated. “I joined with Senator Gayle Harrell in sponsoring legislation that we had to fight all the way through the whole legislative process.”
He added,
“The commercialization of state parks kept poking its head as amendments in every committee and on the floor. But we were able to get our bill passed, which stopped commercialization of state parks forever.”
The “Great Outdoors Initiative” Controversy
The controversy began in August 2024 when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) announced its “2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative.”
- This plan proposed increasing cabins and lodges on park property while adding recreational opportunities, including pickleball, disc golf, golf, and paddling facilities. One major project included building a 350-room park lodge at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in the Panhandle.
Backlash: The initiative faced immediate and intense criticism from environmental organizations, including 1000 Friends of Florida, Friends of the Everglades, Florida Wildlife Federation, and Vote Water.
- These groups mobilized their members to contact legislators and state officials in opposition, arguing that “state parks should not be competitors for golf courses or other private recreational complexes, which are available throughout the state.”
Bipartisan Opposition and DeSantis’s Denial
The pushback against the FDEP proposal crossed party lines. Republican State Senator Jay Trumbull publicly opposed the plan, stating:
“As a State Senator, I am committed to preserving the unique and irreplaceable natural landscapes that make Florida so special. Today, I stand in strong opposition to the proposed expansion of state parks to include golf courses and associated facilities in our state parks, particularly in Camp Helen, Topsail Hill Preserve and Grayton Beach State Parks, which have been targeted in the initial expansion and hold a place of enormous importance to our district.”
Trumbull emphatically added, “Our state parks should not be in the business of competing with private enterprise to provide lodging or other commercial amenities. Our state parks are a treasure, and they should remain focused on their primary mission: offering a refuge for those who seek to experience Florida’s natural beauty in its purest form.”
- Backpedaling: When the controversy erupted, DeSantis initially distanced himself from the plans. At a press conference in Winter Haven, he claimed the proposals were leaked while still “half-baked” and promised nothing would happen for the rest of the year.
“Here’s the thing, I’d rather not spend any money on this, right?” DeSantis said. “I mean, if people don’t want improvements, then don’t do it. And so, that’ll be something that citizens could be able to do.”
The Whistleblower and the Governor’s Office Connection
James Gaddis, a two-year FDEP cartographer, leaked information about the plans and was subsequently fired for “Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee.” According to Gaddis, he was instructed to rush maps for the golf courses by senior leadership in late July 2024, and by mid-August, the Office of Park Planning was ordered to drop other tasks to focus on amendments to the original drafts.
- Smoking Gun: Gaddis revealed to the Tampa Bay Times that the directive came “straight from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office” with DeSantis’s deputy chief of staff, Cody Farrill, serving as the liaison between FDEP senior leadership and the governor’s office.
Questions About Ethics and Connections
Former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, who was running for election to his old seat, didn’t just oppose the plan—he questioned the ethics behind it, comparing it to something worthy of Senator Bill Proxmire’s infamous “Golden Fleece Awards” for wasteful government spending.
“This was a dumb government trick,” Gaetz stated bluntly on my podcast last August.
Gaetz also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, noting:
“My daddy taught me to follow the money, and when you do a bit of digging and find out that there was a group nobody’s ever heard of before called the ‘Tuskegee Dunes Foundation.'”
He pointed out that former Department of Environmental Protection secretary Ryan Matthews was involved with this foundation and worked as a Tallahassee lobbyist.
“Sooner or later, you have to wonder who would make money out of these hotels?” Gaetz questioned.
A Rare Reversal
DeSantis’s decision to sign legislation blocking commercial development in state parks represents an extraordinary course reversal for the governor. The signing will formalize protections for Florida’s cherished state parks, ensuring they remain focused on conservation rather than commercialization.