- Dozens of neighbors gathered outside the Florida Department of Environmental Protection office on Tuesday to protest the Great Outdoors Initiative
- The plan includes golf and pickleball facilities as well as more accommodations in several Florida state parks.
- The FDEP says it would improve public access, recreation and overnight accommodation options.
- Now see what two neighbors have to say who are concerned about what this development could mean for Florida’s great outdoors.
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MISSION:
Protection of public areas and their green spaces from development.
“To the developers: keep your greedy, dirty hands out of our state parks.”
I’m Alberto Camargo from Northwest Tallahassee.
The controversy surrounding the Great Outdoors Initiative continues to stir up turmoil among neighbors across Florida.
I spoke to protesters from Big Bend and beyond to ask them why protecting our national parks means so much to them.
“CANCEL IT! CANCEL IT!”
“Let’s make sure DEP stands for Department of Environmental Protection and not Don’t expect protection.”
A cry for the protection of nature – from the Great Outdoors Initiative.
A plan by FDEP to develop facilities such as golf courses, pickleball courts and hotels in several Florida state parks.
The FDEP said on social media that the projects would improve public access, recreation and accommodation options.
Chris Landaeta says that is not necessary.
“Nature is a recreational area for all of us. If we want to improve accessibility, we can add more cycling and hiking trails.”
The public backlash against the open-air initiative not only led to protests across the state –
“These parks are important to us, we don’t want them to be built on.”
The support group for a planned golf course in Jonathan Dickinson State Park in South Florida has withdrawn.
According to FDEP, the square should be designed “in harmony with the surrounding nature”.
FAMU student Jasmine Engle says protecting the environment is not only fun, but also educational.
“A lot of research and different approaches to nature are really important for people who care about the environment or want to learn more about it.”
Public hearings on each of the state parks proposed for development were originally scheduled for Tuesday, but have been postponed until sometime next week.
ABC 27 will inform you as soon as the date is announced.
In northwest Tallahassee, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
