Florida – Wednesday, August 28, 2024: Governor DeSantis said today that he had never seen or approved plans to build golf courses or other recreational facilities in Dickinson State Park.
“We are not getting into the golf course business in the state of Florida,” he said.
“They’re going back to the drawing board,” the governor said, referring to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Acquisition and Restoration Council, a division within FDEP. At a news conference yesterday in Stuart, Treasure Coast Congressman Brian Mast said FDEP’s Acquisition and Restoration Council has issued a request for proposals for the project.
“They’re not doing anything this year,” DeSantis said. “They’re going to go back and basically listen to people. A lot of it was just half-baked and not ready for prime time.”
Without mentioning the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by name, the governor went on to say that the proposal to build recreational facilities in state parks was “intentionally leaked to a left-wing group.” The left-wing group was also not named.
The governor answered questions from reporters about the controversy following a public safety meeting at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Winter Haven.
