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DeSantis' Great Outdoors Initiative plans golf courses in state parks

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Editor’s note: After the Flagler of Stuart decided Friday not to host the DEP's public meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday due to “safety concerns,” the DEP postponed all meetings across the state and said it is looking for larger venues “due to overwhelming interest.” Stay tuned for a new date, time and location.

Politicians, residents and environmentalists in Martin County are desperately trying to stop the development of Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The development of the park would require the clearing of huge areas of bushland to build three golf courses.

Environmental organizations such as Audubon of Martin County and the Florida Wildlife Federation collected thousands of signatures for the petition and announced they would hold a public meeting on the issue in Stuart on Tuesday.

The Facebook group “Protect Jonathan Dickinson State Park” mobilized over 100 people to demonstrate at the park on Wednesday, with dozens of cars clogging the streets to participate. The group has gained over 25,000 followers since it was founded on Monday by Jessica Namath, a former member of the Tequesta Environmental Advisory Committee.

“It's incredibly outrageous of them to think we would be OK with this,” Namath told TCPalm on Thursday. “We already have enough golf courses polluting our water with waste, and this would be just another one in critical habitat.”

Martin County politicians oppose golf course in state park

Representative John Snyder of Stuart, Florida, his father Sheriff William Snyder, and Martin County Commissioner Blake Capps, who was elected Tuesday to represent Hobe Sound, have publicly opposed the proposal. All are Republicans.

The park “is not zoned for development,” John Snyder said in a press release. “For many of us, Jonathan Dickinson is more than just land; it is woven into the fabric of our community, our history and our daily lives.”

He called the park a “cherished sanctuary” and said its protection was “critical to preserving the natural and cultural heritage that distinguishes Palm Beach and Martin counties.” He said the development plans had “understandably struck a nerve in our community” and urged residents to “continue to raise their voices and stand firm” in support of the park.

“I want you to know that I hear you and I'm on your side on this issue,” Snyder said. “I will not stand idly by while the future of the country is at stake.”

The sheriff said, “This does not bode well for our county” and will lead to more crime, car accidents, 911 calls and displaced wildlife. “We have enough golf courses. We don't have enough open space and protected plateaus.”

Capps agreed, saying, “I think this is an absolutely terrible idea. I look forward to taking decisive action against it.”

DeSantis' Great Outdoors Initiative

Communities near the eight state parks where recreational facilities such as golf courses, disc golf facilities and pickleball courts are to be built were notified one week in advance and all public meetings will take place on the same day.

“They're really being secretive about it,” said James Howe, conservation officer for Audubon of Martin County. “The hall for the (Stuart) meeting only holds 150 people, but we're coming. The crowds will cause traffic gridlock in Stuart.”

The Department of Environmental Protection will present the plan in the Flagler of Stuart River Room at 201 Flagler Ave. SW.

DEP ARC: Here are the 7 people who will decide on the golf courses

Worth knowing: 10 facts about Jonathan Dickinson State Park

This is not the first time land in Jonathan Dickinson has been considered for a golf course. In 2011, a law would have allowed golfer and golf course designer Jack Nicklaus to build courses in state parks as part of then-Governor Rick Scott's initiative to promote tourism. Three years of fierce opposition from conservationists appeared to have scuttled the plan.

Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, said she was confident she could kill this part of Gov. Ron DeSantis' Great Outdoors Initiative, which was released by the Department of Environmental Protection on Wednesday after someone leaked the documents.

“I am extremely confident that we can defeat these insidious proposals. We did it a decade ago and we will do it again,” she said. “The onus is on the governor. The FDEP is an arm of our executive branch, and if Governor DeSantis stands for clean water, he could – and should – have stopped this.”

Golf courses in state parks damage habitat

The plan calls for two 18-hole golf courses and one 9-hole golf course on 1,000 acres of protected bushland. To accommodate the new golf courses, the state plans to relocate existing parkland and demolish the Hobe Mountain boardwalk and observation tower, which state officials say is considered unsafe.

Environmentalists point out that the project could harm natural waterways, not only by depleting freshwater reserves needed to maintain the waterways, but also by polluting the Loxahatchee River with fertilizer and pesticide runoff.

“Wastewater from the proposed golf courses would likely enter the Indian River Lagoon, potentially impacting our waterways and important species like seagrasses and oysters, endangering the delicate coastal ecosystems we fight to protect,” the Florida Oceanographic Society wrote in a statement released Thursday.

The park's scrublands are also important habitat for endemic and endangered species such as the Florida scrub jay and gopher tortoise, said Howe, who has led scrub jay education courses through the park for years. He fears that habitat loss would destabilize the ecosystem.

“If the governor's office thought people would say, 'Oh, let's get rid of this stupid land that's just sitting there and build some golf courses here, people will love it,' it's pretty clear that's not the case,” Howe said.

Sheriff William Snyder is against golf course in state park

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Martin County Sheriff William Snyder shares his opinion on golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder discusses a possible increase in calls on August 22, 2024 if plans for golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park become reality.

Snyder said he was “vehemently opposed” to the plan.

“I have to look at everything as a law enforcement issue first and foremost, and if the question was, 'Would one or two golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson State Park be a challenge or a public safety issue?' I would answer unequivocally yes,” he told TCPalm on Thursday. “Golf courses by themselves are not a magnet for crime, but when people come to our county to golf, it creates an environment that could increase our demand for services.”

The sheriff said he is a long-time resident and is also concerned about the environment and overdevelopment.

The park felt like a “bulwark, a kind of stopgap between the urbanization we see in the southern counties and our quieter, less crime-affected community,” he said. “I think if we dismantle that, the symbol of our way of life – Jonathan Dickinson State Park – that stands up against advancing urbanization will be lost.”

Snyder said when he learned about the project, he looked at the list of endangered species that live in the park.

“We are constantly on calls for wild animals that have been displaced from their natural habitat,” he said. “If they do this in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, we will undoubtedly see animals displaced and accidents occurring along U.S. 1 as these animals look for a place to live.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the DEP had not responded to TCPalm's phone calls and emails. The agency defended the proposal in a news release Monday, citing the state's past land protection efforts.

“Today's announcement underscores the DeSantis administration's previous support for protecting our natural landscapes and its commitment to ensuring every Floridian can visit and recreate in Florida's state parks,” the press release said.

TCPalm Reporter Will Greenlee And Keith Burbank contributed to this article.

Jack Lemnus is an enterprise reporter at TCPalm. Reach him at [email protected] or 772-409-1345.

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