DeSantis will call on DEP to rework 'Great Outdoors Initiative'

Published on August 28, 2024

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — WPTV learned Wednesday that Gov. Ron DeSantis will call on the Florida Department of Environment Protection (FDEP) to rework the state's controversial "Great Outdoors Initiative," according to an official with the governor's administration.

DeSantis is seeking more public input on the project before moving forward, planning to restart the public hearing process sometime next year, the unnamed official said.

This comes after major pushback to the plan, which would have built golf courses, lodging and pickleball courts at nine state parks, including Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County. 

For the first time since the proposal surfaced, the governor took questions from reporters who asked him about the project.

Continue reading on DeSantis: 'We're not going to take away any green space' (wptv.com)

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