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State Development Parks Protection Bill Clears Florida Legislation – Tallahassee Democrat in Florida Law

State Development Parks Protection Bill Clears Florida Legislation – Tallahassee Democrat in Florida Law

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Numerous protection groups stood with State Senator Gail Harel on Tuesday when she introduced a bill to protect Florida -awarded state parks from development such as golf courses, tennis courts and luxury huts.

The Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources of the Senate cleared the measure with a unanimous vote; The bill (SB 80, the State Parks Protection Act) has two more committees before it can be introduced on the Senate floor.

Harel, a Stuart Republican, filed the bill in response to the Great Outdoor Initiative, which the State Department for Environmental Protection (DEP) launched last summer. After the protests against the plan broke out throughout the country in August, governor Ron Roanis postponed it.

Harel’s legislation came as a stunning Goop, which exposed the idea of ​​a Desantis administration, published last year, for a relaxation -based recreation.

He offered a golf course in Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, luxury 350 rooms in Anastasia State Park in St. Jones County and Topsail Hill State Park in Walton County, along with Alfred B. Maclire Park Gardons Flying Disk Talahassi.

All of them would be banned in state parks on Harel’s bill. Zaths said the plan “has expired. He has never been approved by me. I have never seen this … If people do not want improvements, then don’t do it.”

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John D. Park Park in North Palm Beach, Florida

John D. Park Park Crusur in North Palm Beach, Florida, is the only state park in Palm Beach County

The Palm Beach Post

Her measure guarantees that Harel told her colleagues MPs “that we reserve our state parks for what was originally intended” and “clearly defines public -based public applications based on conservation.”

State representative John Snyder, R-Stuart, has filed an identical bill (HB 209) to the house. There he was appointed to the subcommittee on natural resources and disasters and a committee for state affairs; It has not yet been heard in either.

The legislation defines mandates for the management of the 175 state parks, creating a tricky current for management of the park, in which the department is only able to promote the traditional entertainment activities and amenities it defines.

It also requires contribution from local consultative groups and written plans to manage every ten years. At least two public hearing will be held until the management plan has been developed.

Plans include components that park managers will have to develop: habitat restoration, hydrological storage, audits of cultural and historical resources and improvement of habitats for imperial species.

Representative of the Audubon Florida, a protection group that helped to establish the First State Park in 1916 (Royal Park, now part of the Everglades National Park, said the measure provides park management fuses, updated management practices and “management practices and” management practices and “management practices and” management practices and “management practices and” management practices and “management practices and” management practices and ” Provides transparent and opportunities for (public) participation. ”

“It outlines a bright line between uses that are and not suitable for these vulnerable lands,” said Beth Alvi.

The only objections raised during the Tuesday meeting came from supporters who said, though good importance, the bill did not go far enough to protect the country’s parks. In fact, more than 60 environmental groups called on Harel and Snyder to strengthen their proposal.

Gil Smart, director of Friends of the Everglades, said he was afraid of parks for the operation of parks if the legislature tries to list any forbidden use: “We cannot list any inappropriate use, but we can cover our bases:” We cannot list every inappropriate use, but we can cover our bases: “We cannot explicitly state that we will not allow them to use, which violate and harm the resources of our state parks,” Smart said.

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James Call is a member of USA Today Network-Florida Capital Bureau. Next to it can be found at [email protected] and is on X as @CallTallahasseeS

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