Florida House Passes Bill To Limit Projects Like Golf Courses And Pickleball Courts At State Parks

Development such as golf courses, pickleball courts and luxury lodges would be prohibited at Florida state parks under legislation passed Wednesday by the state House following a public outcry against such projects that were pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration.

The vote was 115-0 for the measure, which now goes to the Senate, where a similar bill is moving through committees. Supporters said loud public reaction and protests last year against what DeSantis called the Great Outdoors Initiative was a key factor in the governor's subsequent decision to shelve it.

The legislation, supporters said, will ensue it doesn't happen again.

"The public outcry, you could probably hear it all the way up to the moon or Mars," said Rep. Lindsay Cross, a Democrat from St. Petersburg who attended some protests. The bill, she added, will "make sure our wild Florida stays wild."

The bill doesn't ban all types of development. But it requires that any projects be "conservation-based recreational uses" that support things like hiking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, nature study and other similar activities, according to a House staff analysis.