UPDATE 8/26/2024: The foundation behind the golf course plan at Jonathan Dickinson State Park has pulled out of the deal, citing “We have received clear feedback that Jonathan Dickinson State Park is the not the right location. We did not understand the local community landscape and appreciate the clarity.”
The Tuskegee Dunes Foundation wrote in a statement on its website that, “Serving God and Country is our daily goal. That was the spirit for the idea to bring world class public golf to south east Florida, and donate all proceeds to support military and first responders’ families. Working with the state of Florida, we explored Jonathan Dickinson State Park at the location of a dilapidated military facility.”
The statement is the only page on its website, and the nonprofit does not appear to have any social media presence. According to the Palm Beach Post, the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation is based in Delaware, was incorporated in 2021, and its website is “launching soon.”
A proposal by the state would outline the purchase of thousands of acres of treasured state park land to turn into golf courses, pickleball courts, lodges, and other recreational facilities.
That includes 1,050 acres of land on Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, just north of Jupiter, as well as removing an observation tower and boardwalk.
On Aug. 19, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced its 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative, which will “work to expand public access, increase outdoor activities and provide new lodging options across Florida’s state parks – reinforcing the state’s dedication to conservation, the outdoor recreation economy and a high quality of life for Floridians.”
The parks included in the proposal:
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Martin County): two 18-hole golf courses and one 9-hole golf course
- Dr. Von Mizell – Eula Johnson State Park (Broward County): Pickleball courts
- Oleta River State Park (Miami-Dade County): Disc golf course and pickleball court
- Anastasia State Park (St. Johns County): A 350-room park lodge, disc golf course, and pickleball courts.
- Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (Walton County): A 350-room park lodge, disc golf course, pickleball courts.
- Grayton Beach State Park (Walton County): A new restroom, 10 new cabins, disc golf course, and pickleball courts
- Hillsborough River State Park (Hillsborough County): Disc golf course and pickleball courts
- Honeymoon Island State Park (Pinellas County): Pickleball courts
- Camp Helen State Park (Bay County): New cabins to be built on Panhandle Coastal scrub
According to the announcement, from 2022 to 2023, more than 30 million visitors made their way to Florida’s 175 state parks, a $3.6 billion economic impact.
“These are not under-visited parks,” says Julie Wraithmell, the executive director of Audubon Florida. “In fact, these are all some of the busiest parks in the park system. There is not an argument to be made that we need to add additional attractions to these places in order to increase their visitation.”
The public has responded in a firestorm—the Facebook group Protect Jonathan Dickinson State Park has exploded to more than 27,000 followers in a matter of days. On the page, members have plans for a protest outside of the venue before attending the meeting.
On X (formerly Twitter), the Department of Environmental Protection posted that there is “a LOT of confusion out there” regarding the initiative. “We love #TheRealFlorida as much as you do, so we want to clear some things up.”
In regards to Jonathan Dickinson State Park, they tweeted, “we are considering the addition of golf – one of our nation’s most popular sports – in a way that will minimize habitat impacts and leverage already-disturbed areas.”
One X user replied, “Public input is welcomed and valued? Then why did you give only a week’s notice and make the meetings at times when most people are at work or taking kids to/from school and activities?’
In a statement, Rep. Kelly Skidmore (D–Boca Raton) called the plan “preposterous.”
“It is the role of government to be environmental stewards, to protect its parks, and keep them as pristine as possible, not mow them down and then require excessive use of our water resources to maintain,” she continued.
U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) released a statement criticizing the department for not having any members of the Acquisitions and Restoration Council voting committee present at the public meetings, saying it “will deprive them of the ability to hear from the actual public.”
“The proposal to open any state park in Florida for development is the first of its kind. It would be negligent for the ARC members to vote on this proposal without being eye-to-eye with people actually impacted.”
Eric Draper, who was the director of Florida’s state parks from 2017 to 2021, told the Tampa Bay Times that, “This appears to be something that has been planned in secret, and it doesn’t appear to have involved the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are volunteers in the parks, the citizen support organizations, or the many people who have been involved in helping to create and develop Florida’s award-winning park system.”
He told the paper that before any proposals were announced, there should have been a citizens advisory committee and public hearings.
Tania Golloni, the managing attorney for the Florida Office of Earthjustice, said in a press release that the move goes against the 75% of voters who approved the Water & Land Conservation Amendment to the Florida Constitution in 2014; this means that a portion of taxes from real estate sales go to buying and managing conservation land.
“It’s yet another example of how the state keeps thumbing its nose at Floridians, who voted overwhelmingly to preserve conservation land for future generations,” Golloni said.
The Department of Environmental Protection is hosting eight meetings throughout the state to discuss the nine parks included in the proposal; the meetings were originally scheduled for Aug. 27 from 3 to 4 p.m. EST, but due to “overwhelming interest” from the public, the department is rescheduling the meetings and looking for larger venues. The meetings are expected to be the week of Sept. 2.
Those interested in attending the meeting can email JonathanDickinsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov.
If you can’t make the meetings, or if you want your voice to be heard, Audubon Florida has an action alert that concerned residents can fill out, which will be sent to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“The beauty of it is the environment has always been a bipartisan issue in Florida because it’s critical to our economy and our quality of life,” says Wraithmell. “These are islands of green in our rapidly urban landscape.”
This story was updated on Aug. 26 to reflect the rescheduled public meetings.
