In less than week since we first reported that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection had proposed a plan in the legislature to close 53 of our state parks and transfer 3 others back to their original owner, supporters of Florida’s Special Places have responded with over 150 comments and nominees for this campaign.

We decided that in lieu of our normal weekly featured Florida's Special Places nominee, we’d share with you just a small sample of the impassioned testimonies we have received. Your dedication is inspiring.

The people of Florida are speaking up for our parks! Have you added your voice yet?

Steven: The Gainesville area has some special parks scheduled for shut down. Devil's Millhopper and Dudley Farm are amazing places that highlight Florida's natural and historic heritage. And the Rawlings house is among the most amazing pieces of Florida's heritage and should be a national treasure instead of being closed down...- I will do whatever I need to keep these places available to all!

Paula: The Florida Scrub Jay only lives here--along the Lake Wales Ridge. A preserve known as the Lake June in Winter is at risk of being axed by state budget considerations. And yet, Highlands County is intending to approve more development (not needed) to further diminish what little habitat the scrub jays have left. They exist nowhere else in the world. Don't ax Lake June in Winter.

Joy: Florida State parks are the last of the natural places that have not been changed by massive over development. Keep all the state parks protected and preserved. Future generations depend on us to protect areas today. Every small park is unique. Lignumvitae Key is a great botanical treasure and historical site. Windley Key shows the fossilized coral reef that the Keys are setting on. Keep them protected. Every state park is special.

Holly: I'm horrified to just now learn about the proposed closing of several Florida state parks. I wrote the book "30 Eco-Trips in Florida: The Best Nature Excursions (and How to Leave Only Your Footprints)," which features so many state parks. My husband and I have toured the state and seen parks from Perdido Key next to Alabama all the way to Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. Now that we have children, we want to share these amazing places with them too. It would be a shame to drive past a park and tell them, "There's a great place there, but we can't explore it."

John: The Barnacle here in Miami is truly unique and a wonderful community gathering place. Being the home of Ralph Munroe, a true Miami pioneer, it is a unique touchstone with the past and a great venue for concerts, dances and boating events on one of the last little vestiges of the Biscayne Bay shoreline of the early days. It is truly a step back in time which is just a few steps away for most of us. What a treasure!

Linda: I am so upset to hear of the closings of these parks.  They are our state treasures.  I have been bike riding in several and camped in several other parks. What will we leave to our children and their children?