Department of Environmental Protection Proposes to Close 53 State Parks

[The Chairman]

From: Florida’s Special Places | Audubon of Florida News

The Audubon Society is suggesting that Florida's DEP is requesting to close 53 State Parks.

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.

Anyone have any information on this? I can't find any here: Press Office | Florida DEP

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

 

[mselenaous]

WOW...say it isn't so.

 

[RetMTFE]

Making the rounds

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings house, Dade Battlefield parks could be closes temporarily | Ocala.com

 

[Doug Charney]

There is already a thread in progress...

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/368247-peacock-madison-troy-close.html

 

[Orlando Eric]

I'd like to keep them open but the parks are MIGHTY low on my list of needs in these budget times. I'd like to cancel sports, arts etc from school programs to rehire Math, Eng, Science teachers. All those road side pretty trees dead no more money to pay someone to water them. County meetings... bring your own burger no more shrimp and perrier, if it is not essential close it down... batton the hatches. Hell some of these parks will be better in five years without some lunk head tossing beer cans around.

 

[DennisS]

The first thing an agency does when faced with budget cuts is threaten to cut it's most popular projects.

Nothing about waste water, waste management, or air pollution programs