SWFL locals concerned about development in state parks

Reporter: Claire Galt Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:

With the rise of the popularity of sports like Pickleball, Florida officials have decided to develop courts in various state parks, much to the chagrin of locals.

While development plans for Southwest Florida parks are not on the list, the Department of Environmental Protection decided to continue with this plan as part of the Great Outdoors Initiative.

If the changes were to be executed, local state parks like Lovers Key and Topsail Hill Preserve Park may be on the list to receive them.

The protection loss has been a vocal talking point with locals and environmental specialists alike as public input is being disregarded for changes favoring tourism.

WINK News spoke with Matt DePaolis, an Environmental Policy Director for the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, about the unnecessary allocation of funds for projects that will ultimately damage the Florida environment.

“Putting large 350-unit lodges right near sensitive beaches and dune habitats while placing golf courses on the banks of the Indian River Lagoon is taking a step backward,” said DePaolis. “Especially after all the millions of dollars that have been sunk into that estuary to try to rectify some of their pollution issues, not to mention the scrubland that those golf courses would impact.”

A public hearing on this matter is set for Tuesday, and each of the seven board members of the Acquisition and Restoration Council will be present to vote.

DEP sent us a statement regarding public input:

Due to the overwhelming interest with the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is looking for new venues to accommodate the public. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Public input is vital to DEP decision-making. To gather feedback on your favorite state parks, we’ve launched a dedicated webpage for more suggestions: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7983173/Great-Outdoors-Initiative.

New meeting dates will be announced soon, with meetings expected the week of Sept. 2, 2024.

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