Setting the Record Straight – DEP Committed to Protecting and Ensuring the Future of State Parks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 8, 2015

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

 

Setting the Record Straight – DEP Committed to Protecting and Ensuring
the Future of State Parks

A number of inaccurate articles published recently have perpetuated misperceptions about the future of Florida State Parks. As these stories are being driven by false allegations based on incomplete information that does not present a complete or accurate picture of the efforts of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service, these stories warrant a “setting the record straight.”

As DEP Secretary Jon Steverson recently said in his testimony in front of a Florida Senate committee, “Florida’s state parks are not for sale. I am not looking to surplus parks, commercialize parks or ruin any park visitor’s experience. I am looking to improve our management practices and move more properties from a restoration condition to a maintenance condition (a lower-cost, less labor intensive and most importantly – a more natural condition).”

“Every Florida state park is being considered as a potential killing field” alluding to the fact that the department is proposing hunting at all 174 state parks and trails. – State parks being reviewed for places to allow hunting, Tampa Bay Times

There are currently no proposals to open any additional parks to hunting. Further, DEP does not have a blanket policy to implement hunting, nor any other activity, across all of Florida’s 174 state parks, trails and historic sites.

For hunting, or any activity, to occur at a Florida state park, it must be included in the park’s unit management plan — individual governing documents that guide the management of each and every park. Any new activity would be thoroughly vetted by park planners, staff and the public in advance of any possible implementation.

For more than 25 years, limited hunting has been allowed through the unit management plans of three properties managed by the Florida Park Service – Rock Springs Run State Preserve, Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve and the Marshall Swamp Property of the Cross Florida Greenway.

The decision to allow hunting will be solely evaluated based on “whether hunters could find something to shoot there.” – State parks being reviewed for places to allow hunting, Tampa Bay Times                                                                             

Any activities added to a park’s unit management plan are thoroughly vetted, both internally by DEP’s resource managers and park planners, and externally by the general public and an advisory group comprised of local elected officials, experts and stakeholders.

Additional potential hunting opportunities would be carefully evaluated to determine if they could provide a benefit to land management (such as a one- or two-weekend hunt to help control feral hog populations) or offer a unique recreational opportunity (such as hosting a Wounded Warrior, youth or other special, limited hunt).

These types of hunts would only be considered at appropriate locations and in partnership with the proper agencies to ensure potential hunts would be safe and have minimal impacts to visitors and resources.

DEP is pursuing implementing “incompatible” or “previously banned” activities in state parks. – State parks being reviewed for places to allow hunting, Tampa Bay Times

Park staff have implemented successful and responsible resource management tools, including timber thinning and cattle grazing, in state parks for decades.

In fact, timber practices have been used to restore and manage lands in 34 parks since 2005. Timber thinning can reduce both the potential for, and severity of, wildfires, as well as improve the growth of remaining trees and native plants. Timbering is also a tool that has been, and will continue to be, used to remove off-site tree species and replace them with site-appropriate, native species.

Another practice that has been successfully used is cattle grazing. Sometimes DEP acquires lands with improved pasture, and grazing cattle helps keep these pastures in check. Removing the cattle without an immediate restoration project enables dense oaks and shrubs to grow, which disrupts the biodiversity needed for a healthy ecosystem.

And, again, for more than 25 years, limited hunting has been allowed within properties managed by the Florida Park Service.

Any proposals to expand hunting, cattle grazing, timbering or other “commercial activities” is part of a plan to “commercialize,” “privatize” or “ make a profit” from state parks. – Shooting wildlife in state parks best done with a camera, Tampa Tribune and State goes hunting for cash in parks, Florida Times Union

Secretary Steverson and the Florida Park Service are working to ensure our state parks remain the best in the nation and to protect and appropriately manage the nearly 800,000 acres entrusted to the department.

One of DEP’s strategic goals is to improve the quality of natural resources through long-term planning, restoration and maintenance. DEP intends to achieve this goal by taking a more proactive, long-term and data-driven look at our goals for land management. This approach will allow us to protect our lands both now and decades in the future.

We are beginning a dialogue among the park management team to evaluate options that are available, feasible and logical — all in an effort to restore state lands to a more natural condition faster. In addition, some of these activities may generate revenues that would go right back into the restoration and maintenance activities of Florida State Parks.

By adding hunting to a checklist of potential activities, DEP is proposing that “potentially all state parks are fair game for hunting.” – Editorial: The hunt for park revenue, Ocala Star Banner

To help park staff begin the process of updating a park’s unit management plan — the park’s governing document — park planners use a uniform checklist that identifies potential park activities or facilities. This checklist is designed to serve as a conversation starter that is used in the very first steps of the park-planning process. This list includes nearly 60 potential recreational, resource management, and other activities, ranging from boat ramps, kayaking and trails to camping or hunting. However, none of the activities or facilities listed are required to be implemented, or even further evaluated.

Activities that are identified as being possibly suitable will then be further evaluated by park planners and staff, who take into account the unique needs and attributes of each diverse park, as part of the development process. These activities are then further vetted as a draft plan is developed and updated with opportunities for public review and comment.

A proposal to expand “hunting and certain commercial activities…shows a disregard for the parks’ intended purposes and for the public’s preferences.” – Editorial: The hunt for park revenue, Ocala Star Banner

As required by law and practiced by staff for years, proposed changes to a park’s unit management plan are thoroughly vetted by park planners, staff, stakeholders and the public in advance of the plan’s approval. Unit management plans look in-depth at the natural, cultural and recreational resources to identify appropriate and suitable activities and uses for that specific park.

Parks are being “privatized.” – Shooting wildlife in state parks best done with a camera, Tampa Tribune

While the department may utilize the private sector to provide services such as our concession operations, the Florida Park Service will always be the ones to manage the lands entrusted to us, both for recreation and protection purposes. The department has no intention of privatizing parks. Contracting certain services, such as park concessions to a restauranteur or tree harvesting activities to a professional forester, allows the park staff to focus on day-to-day park operations, protecting the natural and cultural resources and ensuring the best park experience for visitors. It also allows the park to take advantage of the expertise offered by these service providers.

Secretary Steverson and DEP are committed to ensuring that our parks are open and accessible to the public, and to preserving and protecting the ecological heritage that has been passed down for generations. The department continually works to enhance the visitor experience in our parks by increasing amenities and improving services to ensure Florida’s families continue to enjoy the best state parks in the nation.