Audubon has reviewed proposed legislation authorizing the Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail and directing the placement of golf courses in Florida State Parks. We discussed the proposal with its proponents and advised them that we found the proposal troubling. In recent days, Audubon organized a call to brief local leaders on this proposal. We have also communicated our concerns to representatives of the Nicklaus organization, who first alerted us to the idea.
It is Audubon's position that this type of decision needs to be made by the people who use and love our state parks and other public lands. This should not be a Tallahassee issue. We intend to continue to look to our local Audubon chapters, citizen support organizations and others.
Audubon is a wildlife conservation organization. We want parks managed first to protect water and wildlife habitat, but we do not reflexively oppose other recreational uses if compatible with the parks’ purposes.
Yet, this proposal has a number of troubling issues:
- Does not recognize existing uses and users including the natural environment.
- Does not provide any benefit for existing uses and users including the natural environment.
- Does not provide intent that the proposal will benefit the park system or other users.
- Does not provide any real limitation on where golf courses can be located and takes the decision completely out of the hands of decision-makers giving all power of decision to the golf course developer.
- Does not provide for any protection of park resources or the other users.
- Waives all state park planning and management processes.
- Waives all local government planning processes.
- Appears to waive public participation in decision making.
- Preempts environmental rules including water and wildlife rules.
- Does not provide that any funds benefit the park.
- Allows for hotels, presumably to be built on state lands.
We call on all parks users to express their own points of view either in the comments section of this blog, or on our Florida's Special Places Facebook Page. Let's hear your opinion, Florida, how do you feel about the idea to put golf courses in some of our state parks?
