It really was a surprise. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection planned to put large hotels, golf courses, pickleball courts, and other inappropriate uses of our shared open space, conservation lands, and wildlife habitats in 26 state parks. What in the world?
Over and over, our fellow Floridians have spoken at the ballot box. It hasn’t been a divided thought. Republicans and Democrats have voted together in overwhelming numbers to protect open space and native Florida, even if it meant paying some more in taxes. Here in Hillsborough County, voters have chosen to provide money for our Environmental Lands Program three different times – first in 1987, then again in 1990, and most recently in 2008. The 2008 referendum was approved by over 80% of the voters. It received the most support of any item placed on any ballot in the United States. This was an overwhelming vote of approval, indeed!
In November 2014, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved the Water and Land Conservation Amendment (Amendment 1) and effectively added it to the state constitution. With about 75% approval across the state, Florida voters sent a clear message they wanted dedicated funds to protect Florida’s water, wildlife habitat, natural areas, and parks – now and for future generations.
These decisions by citizens of our county and our state SHOULD represent powerful messages to our leaders that we value and want to protect the natural Florida that remains, that we think our open space is important, that we go to our state parks and conservation lands to recreate – fishing, walking, bird-watching, canoeing and kayaking, picnicking, and sharing time with our friends and family. We value the clean water and fresh air these lands protect. We appreciate the value of stormwater protection the open space provides and the habitats they offer to birds and other native Florida wildlife.
So what in the world was FDEP thinking – and why were they trying to sneak it by as a done deal with very little opportunity for public input? HOW DO THEY DARE!
We were awfully lucky that a person who values our state parks spoke out. That gave the Tampa Times time to alert us. And led by Audubon Florida and other conservation groups and leaders, we spoke up in the numbers needed to make our governor back it down.
Our whistleblower hero was punished by FDEP when the agency fired him. It’s a shame that a department with the title “environmental protection” acts in this way.
So, there are a lot of questions that need answers:
- Whose idea was this?
- Why did they essentially break the law in an effort to push the decision through without the standard, normal public participation?
- Was there some kind of payoff involved?
- What happens next time, if this inappropriate and essentially illegal planning occurs?
- What happens if it succeeds?
- How can we prevent this selfish, narrow-minded thievery of our natural lands from occurring, ever, on our state lands and our other protected lands?
With conservation, we must win every time there is a developmental threat. But we only have to lose once – after the bulldozer and the concrete, the natural Florida is gone.
Literally, these planners were planning to “pave paradise and put up a parking lot!"
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