1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am deeply concerned about the proposed development of golf courses, lodges, etc. in our state parks. As a resident of Florida who cherishes its natural beauty and wildlife, I ask you to put an immediate end to this initiative for several reasons. State park lands were purchased using funds with specific restrictions on their development. The Florida Forever program was designed to protect environmentally sensitive lands and water resources while providing opportunities for outdoor recreation. Current plans would violate the spirit of these funding programs and set a dangerous precedent allowing further erosion of Florida's protected areas. Secondly, development inherently destroys the natural beauty and disrupts wildlife habitats. Golf courses require deforestation, loss of wetlands, and disruption of local ecosystems. Building lodges and pickleball courts requires similar ecological impacts. Moreover, these developments increase noise pollution, light pollution, and human disturbance that negatively affect the delicate balance of our state parks' flora and fauna. Thirdly, at a time when climate change poses an existential threat to Florida, it is irresponsible to divert funds towards projects that only serve to exacerbate the problem. Instead, these resources should be directed towards protecting Florida from rising sea levels, stronger storms, and other consequences of global warming. Lastly, proposed developments would likely require additional revenue from state parks. This inherently limits access to public spaces by increasing the barrier to entry. I urge you all to reject this ridiculous notion of turning state parks into resorts. Florida's natural resources require conservation, and these plans actively destroy the natural beauty and wildlife that make Florida unique.