St Petersburg resident Caroline Chomaniacs at Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin on Aug. 27, 2024. Credit: Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill born out of the backlash against his administration’s plan last summer to build golf courses, hotels, and pickleball courts at nine state parks.

The Legislature unanimously approved HB 209, which prohibits construction of specified sporting facilities and public lodgings in state parks, such as golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, and ball fields.

Southeast Republican Rep. John Snyder pitched the proposal following backlash and protests from Republicans and Democrats alike, who opposed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s leaked plan to build such facilities.

While state officials dropped the plan, DeSantis tried to distance himself from it. He also told reporters during a press conference on May 7 that he would sign the bill. The governor’s office announced his approval of the bill among a list of 17 bills DeSantis signed Thursday.

“What began as the so-called ‘Great Outdoors Initiative’ to develop our parks has ended in a landmark law ensuring they are protected forever. This achievement is nothing short of historic,” Florida’s chapter of the Sierra Club posted on Facebook.

The new law requires the state to announce public hearings regarding projects in state parks 30 days in advance. The department had scheduled meetings to gather public feedback on the same date and time across the nine state parks, prompting further outrage and causing the postponement of those meetings.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

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