A controversial plan to build golf courses on one of Florida’s state parks appears to have been shelved according to recent reports.
Plans for leisure facilities at 9 of Florida’s major parks met with public resistance over the weekend, with thousands involved in protests across the state.
The Great Outdoors
The golf course plans were part of a larger initiative across Florida to develop visitor facilities at state parks.
The ‘Great Outdoors Initiative’ includes plans to restructure landscapes to develop cabins, golf courses, and pickleball courts.
Park Plans
The plans involved building a golf course on Johnathan Dickinson State Park, a park and historic site in Martin County, Florida.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) documents show that plans had included the removal of staff houses and the Hobe Mountain observation tower.
Golf For Veterans
This was not the first time a group had proposed building golf courses on JD State Park. A national veterans’ charity, Folds of Honor, had previously floated similar proposals.
The group had been knocked back on 2 separate occasions by state officials, who had advised them it was not a good idea.
Location Coincidence
The current proposals were put forward by the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, a previously largely-unknown non-profit.
The foundation’s plans included donating all proceeds from the development to Folds of Honor. Both groups are registered at the same Oklahoma address on Florida’s lobbyist register.
Withdrawal Announcement
The DEP announced, via a spokesperson, that plans had fallen through, thanking the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation for their “good-faith proposal.”
They noted regret for the falling apart of “a project that would have created a public, world-class golf course for all, while supporting veterans, first responders and their families. Their plan to honor the Tuskegee Airmen was noble.”
Folds of Honor Change of Heart
The news of the plan’s withdrawal was also confirmed by podcast host Dan Bongino, who posted a statement online, Sunday night.
In it, he says he has spoken to friends at Folds of Honor, confirming they had abandoned the plans, suggesting “just didn’t understand the local passion for JD park.”
Door Left Open
Although this particular project has fallen through, the DEP have not completely ruled out the possibility of further golf course proposals.
The statement ends with the sentence: “This project will be removed from agency review.”
Look Elsewhere
The Tuskegee Dunes Foundation have conceded that the plans were not viable, but have not given up hope completely of building a golf course for veterans.
However, they did appear to rule out the JD Park location in a statement, which read that they had “received clear feedback that Jonathan Dickinson State Park is not the right location.”
1 Down, 8 to Go
For the thousands of Floridians who have been protesting against the proposed developments, this represents an incomplete victory.
Although the JD Park development may have fallen through, other Great Outdoors Initiative developments remain in the planning stages at parks across the state.
