An article from the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s “Great Outdoors” initiative, which proposes developing golf courses and pickleball courts in nine state parks, including Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The plan has sparked concern among environmentalists due to its potential impact on threatened species like the Florida scrub-jay and gopher tortoise, leading to possible legal challenges under the Endangered Species Act. Professor Alex Erwin noted that while the Act has historically been used to block development, whether it will be effective in this case remains uncertain.
Read the full article here.