Department of Environmental Protection Proposes to Close 53 State Parks in florida

[scuba dew]

Department of Environmental Protection Proposes to Close 53 State Parks
posted on January 27, 2011 in Florida's Special Places,Land Conservation

In what has become an annual exercise, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) along with other agencies, yesterday presented to the Legislature reductions they would make if ordered to reduce their budgets by 15%. In a year when the state faces a nearly $4B shortfall, this is likely to be more than just an exercise; and with the high proportion of freshman members, there is less familiarity than past years with the importance of Florida’s environmental programs.

Part of DEP’s proposal last year, which was not adopted, was to close some parks to public access to result in expense savings. This year, this proposal includes an unprecedented 53 state parks which garner the least attendance and do not have camping, despite being economic engines in some of Florida’s smallest and most rural communities.

Additionally, three parks—Egmont Key, Three Rivers and Forest Capital—are proposed to be returned to their primary owners, whether or not those owners have the capacity to manage them for conservation and public access.

Wednesday in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Committee, members seemed concerned but not willing to simply remove these cuts from the table. One suggested these lands should be sold to put them back on county tax rolls. Another suggested enlisting cash-strapped local governments to manage them. A third suggested closing them “except on weekends.”

The list of proposed park closures is below. Are these some of the places you would consider among Florida’s Special Places? Tell us why these sites are important to you, and share that with your legislators too. The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and Senate General Government Appropriations Committee will be the first to consider which cuts they will accept.

Of course, more reductions were proposed in DEP as well as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee and other important conservation programs. Be sure you are subscribed to Audubon’s Advocate e-newsletter to receive our thorough summary at the end of this and each committee week, through the State Legislative Session.

The 53 Florida State Parks
•Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, Haines City
•Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park, Stuart
•Big Shoals State Park, White Springs
•Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, Flagler Beach
•Camp Helen State Park, Panama City Beach
•Cedar Key State Museum State Park, Cedar Key
•Colt Creek State Park, Lakeland
•Constitution Convention Museum State Park, Port St. Joe
•Crystal River Archaeological State Park, Crystal River
•Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, Bushnell
•Dagny Johsnon Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, Key Largo
•Deer Lake State Park, Santa Rosa Beach
•Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park, Gainesville
•Don Pedro Island State Park, Boca Granda
•Dudley Farm Historic State Park, Newberry
•Dunn’s Creek State Park, Pomona
•Estero Bay Preserve State Park, Estero
•Fort Cooper State Park, Inverness
•Fort George Island Cultural State Park, Jacksonville
•Fort Mose Historic State Park, St. Augustine
•John Gorrie Museum State Park, Apalachicola
•Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, Ellenton
•Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park, Tallahassee
•Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park, Sebring
•Lake Talquin State Park, Tallahassee
•Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park, Tallahassee
•Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Islamorada
•Madison Blue Spring State Park, Lee
•Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, Cross Creek
•Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park, Woodville
•Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, Olustee
•Orman House Historic State Park, Apalachicola
•Paynes Creek Historic State Park, Bowling Green
•Peacock Springs State Park, Luraville
•Perdido Key State Park, Pensacola
•Ponce de Leon Springs State Park, Ponce de Leon
•Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, Jacksonville
•Rock Springs Run State Reserve, Sorrento
•San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, Alachua
•San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park, St. Marks
•Savannas Preserve State Park, Jensen Beach
•St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park, Stuart
•St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere
•Suwannee River Wilderness Trail/Nature and Heritage Tourism Center, White Springs
•Terra Ceia Preserve State Park, Palmetto
•The Barnacle Historic State Park, Coconut Grove
•Troy Spring State Park, Branford
•Wacasassa Bay Preserve State Park, Cedar Key
•Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Palm Coast
•Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park, Port Richey
•Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, Islamorada
•Ybor City Museum State Park, Tampa
•Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park, Holt

 

[Garrobo]

Yep. That's one of the ways the state will force a state income tax on the residents.

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

I've been to around 10 of the parks on that list, would be a shame to see them closed!

 

[Jakestg]

This is pretty rediculous...

 

[CamG]

Greetings fellow Scuba Board members and those who just like to read the posts.
There are times when we divers need to stand and let our voices be heard this is one of those!
As divers we understand the value of loosing the opportunity to dive at the springs and caves represented in some of the proposed closures.
The North Florida Spring Alliance is taking the lead at this moment in the fight to keep these parks open.
If you are not a member it would be a great time to join.
If you have never visited a spring or went diving into the caves they are truly magical.
Take some time to search the images that are beyond words and consider what it would be to loose access to them.

Thank you for your time and whatever support you can offer.
The NFSA is currently taking action to get the message out as well as contacting the people who are involved.
http://www.northfloridaspringsalliance.org/
More information will be available very soon.

CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!

 

[theduckguru]

Yep. That's one of the ways the state will force a state income tax on the residents.

Drill baby drill more likely.

 

[scuba dew]

i agree we need to stand upfor the parks and springs , the small towns around the spring count on people come to dive or just come see the beauty of the parks how much can it posable take to keep them open , if they did not pay the county works 15-20 a hour to sit there all day and do nothing we would have the money , also i have never seen the county buld up any parks or spring i have gone to so what our the spending so much money on that thay cant keep them open?

 

[tgsmith]

i agree we need to stand upfor the parks and springs , the small towns around the spring count on people come to dive or just come see the beauty of the parks how much can it posable take to keep them open , if they did not pay the county works 15-20 a hour to sit there all day and do nothing we would have the money , also i have never seen the county buld up any parks or spring i have gone to so what our the spending so much money on that thay cant keep them open?

English, please

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

They think that this a solution but it is not. That is that much more revenue the state is going to lose. On top of that the Revenue it brings from tourists to other local businesses. We rely on tourists so dont move so fast to thinking they are going to cut off the hand that feeds them. This is not the first time this has been proposed.

Secondly the land and operation is there so if the state does let a few go it will be bought by privet investors and reopened as a privet operation like many parks are in florida now sooooo............

So dont go pillaging too fast