08/24/2024
SAVE OUR STATE PARKS!
Many of you are already aware of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) proposal to add various sports facilities to our state parks. See https://floridadep.gov/parks/public-participation. Public hearings on the proposal were set for next week but have been postponed until sometime during the week of 9/2. I will post the updated meeting information once finalized by DEP.
I strongly object to the DEP proposal as a whole and, specifically, regarding the beautiful and environmentally sensitive Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park located in Hollywood. The following quote is directly from the State’s own Von Mizell State Park website, “This beachside park just south of Port Everglades is the last example of an undeveloped coastal ecosystem in Broward County.” https://www.floridastateparks.org/mizell.
The express mission of Florida’s State Park Service is “to provide resource-based recreation while preserving, interpreting and restoring natural and cultural resources...” https://bit.ly/3ABxGz3. DEP itself defines “resource-based” recreation as being “dependent on a particular element or combination of elements in the natural and cultural environments that cannot be easily duplicated by man. In contrast, user‐oriented recreation can generally be provided anywhere, assuming the availability of space and funds for development.” See https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/OutdoorRecreationDefined.pdf.
Adding user-oriented recreation such as pickleball to our State parks is a direct violation of the express and admirable mission statement of our State Park Service. Please join me in opposing DEP’s proposal. See https://bit.ly/4cDxzQH to comment via the DEP portal or via email, or attend the upcoming in-person meeting.
