Florida State Parks Meeting Change
8/23 Update: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has released a statement postponing the 8/27 meetings to look for venues that can accommodate more people.
"Due to the overwhelming interest with the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative, DEP is looking for new venues to accommodate the public. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Public input is vital to DEP decision-making. To gather feedback on your favorite state parks, we've launched a dedicated webpage for more suggestions:
New meeting dates will be announced soon with meetings expected the week of Sept. 2nd, 2024."
You can find the Florida State Parks Changes survey here but be aware that they are looking to get all of your information if they can. We don't recommend that you give all of your information, as it can be released and sold.
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7983173/Great-Outdoors-Initiative
NOW, please don't consider this a victory.
If we've learned anything from this week's announcement, it should be that Florida's nature lovers weren't really supposed to be in the loop.
With the next meetings likely scheduled around the Labor Day weekend, it seems to be more of the same.
So keep up the pressure.
- Keep emailing
- Keep calling
- Keep writing
- Keep organizing
- Keep sharing
- Keep using your social media accounts to spread the word.
- Join protests and events
Save Florida's State Parks
St. Augustine folks, it's time to rise up! Save Anastasia State Park.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is putting profit before the environment with its latest proposal for the park.
FDEP is proposing a "development of a park lodge with up to 350-room capacity ... in the southern portion of the park within functional vicinity of the Beach Access Area. This general location is east of the campground and south of the beach access."
It's time to speak up.
⭐ They're also proposing a disc golf court
and pickleball courts.
You can find the full Anastasia Park change proposal here.
Local residents are speaking up and posting their own protests on social media, but to truly make a difference, you must call and email your representatives, your senators, the governor, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Let them know what Anastasia State Park means to you and how the changes will affect you, your family, the environment, and the local community.
If possible, please attend the upcoming community meeting about the Anastasia State Park changes. We will post the new meeting information as soon as it is released.
If it seems like a horrible time to have a public comment meeting, don't be fooled. It is surely on purpose. So, pick your kids up from school and head straight to the meeting. It's never too early to start standing up for the environment.
More info about the Anastasia State Park changes here
Public Comment Meeting for the Anastasia State Park Changes - canceled
When: Tuesday, August 27th at 3 - 4 pm
Where: First Coast Technical College
Character Counts Conference Center, Building C
2980 Collins Avenue, St. Augustine, FL.
What: Presentation of a proposed amendment to the unit management plan for Anastasia State Park followed by public comments.
Save Anastasia State Park Protest
When: Sunday, August 25th from 10 am- 1 pm
Where: The entrance to Anastasia State Park
What: visit the Save Anastasia State Park Facebook group for more information.
Still going on!
Join the Save Anastasia State Park Organizing Party at Spinster Abbott's
When: August 26 at 6 pm - 9 pm
Where: 62 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine
What: more info at the Spinster Abbott's St. Augustine instagram page.
Where to call and email to Save Anastasia State Park & the other Florida State Parks
Florida Department of Environmental Protection contact info.
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000
Public.Services@FloridaDEP.gov
850-245-2118
Contact your Representatives:
Florida State Senator District 7
St. Johns County Commissioners
City of St. Augustine Beach Commissioners
The names of the Aquisition and Restoration Council that will be voting on the changes to the nine Florids State Parks
Hank.Vinson@floridadep.gov sine.murray@floridadep.gov meghan.lauer@floridadep.gov Keith.Singleton@FloridaDEP.gov James.Parker@FloridaDEP.gov _
Hank.Vinson@floridadep.gov ARC Agenda Coordinator
Support Staff Division of State Lands, Office of Environmental Services Department of Environmental Protection 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 140 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000
Program Administrator - Sine Murray, 850-245-2773
Land Conservation/Florida Forever - Meghan Lauer, 850-245-2678 sine.murray@floridadep.gov meghan.lauer@floridadep.gov
Land management - Keith Singleton, 850-245-2760/James Parker, 850-245-3045 Keith.Singleton@FloridaDEP.gov James.Parker@FloridaDEP.gov
Acquisition and Restoration Council and Conservation Easements - Hank Vinson, 850-245-2314 Hank.Vinson@floridadep.gov
Agency Council Members Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Chair) Mara Gambineri, Deputy Secretary for Land and Recreation 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 144 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 850-245-2044
Staff: Callie DeHaven, Division of State Lands Director 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 100 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 850-245-2025
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission George Warthen, Chief Conservation Officer 620 South Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 850-487-3796
Staff: Larame Ferry Division of Habitat and Species Conservation 620 South Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 850-487-9185 Florida
Forest Service Rick Dolan, Director 3125 Conner Boulevard, Room 228 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650 850-681-5800
Staff: Cat Ingram Land Planning and Administration 3125 Conner Boulevard Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650 850-681-5827
Florida Division of Historical Resources Alissa Lotane, Director 500 South Bronough Street, M.S. 4 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 850-245-6333
Staff: Brandon Ackermann B. Calvin Jones Center for Archaeology 1001 DeSoto Park Drive Tallahassee, Florida 32301 850-245-6334
Agency Appointee Council Members Lynetta Usher Griner, Vice Chair (Florida Forest Service) Griner Usher Land & Timber, Inc. P.O. Box 1819 Chiefland, FL 32644 352-493-4221 or 352-493-2568
Bill Palmer, Ph.D., President (Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy 13093 Henry Beadel Drive Tallahassee, FL 32312 850-893-4153 x226
Gubernatorial Appointee Council Members Elva Peppers, President Florida Environmental and Land Services, Inc. 221-4 Delta Court Tallahassee, FL 32303 850-385-6255
Florida's Aquisition and Restoration Council
Email your comments to the below email addresses:
AnastasiaSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov CampHelenSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov Dr.VonD.MizellEulaJohnsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov HillsboroughRiverSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov HoneymoonIslandSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov JonathanDickinsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov OletaRiverSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov WaltonCountySPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov (for Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Grayton Beach State Park)
Sign the Florida Wildlife Federation Save Florida's State Parks petition
State Parks Threathened All Over Florida
Sadly, this is happening all over Florida. Learn more about the threat to Florida's state parks here.
Contact your local representatives and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. See links above.
Help spread the word and host your own organizing party with friends and family.
If you're a business owner, consider hosting an event at your business.
See Spinster Abbott's St. Augustine for an example. (Flyer above)
Please sign up for the St. Augustine Connection newsletter and follow the St. Augustine Connection on social media. Following us will help us spread the word about the work we do so that we can help serve you better. Please also follow our sister site Florida Nature Lovers on FB, Instagram, and join the Florida Nature Lovers News and Events group on Facebook. Together we can make a greater impact.
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