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Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman today celebrated a pivotal moment in Florida’s environmental policy as Governor Ron DeSantis announced his intention to sign the State Park Preservation Act (HB 209) into law. “The State Parks bill may turn out to be one of the most monumental laws passed in the history of Florida,” said Representative Gossett-Seidman. “The Governor is a longtime champion for our Everglades and waters, and I imagined he would step in to protect our parks. It allows us to hold forever onto our native parks full of scrub and pine forests, crystal springs, wetlands and waterways, and indigenous wildlife of our subtropical climate.” Unanimously passed by both the Florida House and Senate, the legislation prohibits commercial development — including golf courses, pickleball courts, and hotels — within the state’s 175 parks. Instead, it preserves these lands for “conservation-based recreational uses,” such as hiking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, and nature study. “This wouldn’t have been hard to achieve before the world discovered Florida,” she added. “Back then, only a few canoes paddled around Jonathan Dickinson Park. In the Keys’ Bahia Honda Park, just a few divers floated over stingrays that blanketed the sea floor like carpet. Now that Florida is a final destination for moving trucks as well as tourists, we owe it to future generations to protect what enticed them here in the first place.” Governor DeSantis confirmed his support during a May 7 roundtable in Tampa. When asked directly whether he would sign HB 209, he simply replied, “Yes.” The State Park Preservation Act also strengthens public transparency by requiring public hearings for all updated conservation and non-conservation land management plans. Additionally, the Division of State Lands must provide electronic access to land management plans within defined timeframes. Representative Gossett-Seidman, a co-sponsor of the bill alongside Rep. John Snyder and Sen. Gayle Harrell, expressed gratitude to environmental advocates and citizens whose voices propelled the legislation forward. “This is a victory for all Floridians who cherish our natural heritage,” she said. “With the Governor’s signature, we will ensure that our state parks remain sanctuaries for wildlife and places of respite for generations to come.” About Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman: Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman serves Florida House District 91. She is a dedicated advocate for environmental conservation, public health, and responsible community development.
Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman today celebrated a pivotal moment in Florida’s environmental policy as Governor Ron DeSantis announced his intention to sign the State Park Preservation Act (HB 209) into law.
“The State Parks bill may turn out to be one of the most monumental laws passed in the history of Florida,” said Representative Gossett-Seidman. “The Governor is a longtime champion for our Everglades and waters, and I imagined he would step in to protect our parks. It allows us to hold forever onto our native parks full of scrub and pine forests, crystal springs, wetlands and waterways, and indigenous wildlife of our subtropical climate.”
Unanimously passed by both the Florida House and Senate, the legislation prohibits commercial development — including golf courses, pickleball courts, and hotels — within the state’s 175 parks. Instead, it preserves these lands for “conservation-based recreational uses,” such as hiking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, and nature study.
“This wouldn’t have been hard to achieve before the world discovered Florida,” she added. “Back then, only a few canoes paddled around Jonathan Dickinson Park. In the Keys’ Bahia Honda Park, just a few divers floated over stingrays that blanketed the sea floor like carpet. Now that Florida is a final destination for moving trucks as well as tourists, we owe it to future generations to protect what enticed them here in the first place.”
Governor DeSantis confirmed his support during a May 7 roundtable in Tampa. When asked directly whether he would sign HB 209, he simply replied, “Yes.”
The State Park Preservation Act also strengthens public transparency by requiring public hearings for all updated conservation and non-conservation land management plans. Additionally, the Division of State Lands must provide electronic access to land management plans within defined timeframes.
Representative Gossett-Seidman, a co-sponsor of the bill alongside Rep. John Snyder and Sen. Gayle Harrell, expressed gratitude to environmental advocates and citizens whose voices propelled the legislation forward.
“This is a victory for all Floridians who cherish our natural heritage,” she said. “With the Governor’s signature, we will ensure that our state parks remain sanctuaries for wildlife and places of respite for generations to come.”
About Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman:
Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman serves Florida House District 91. She is a dedicated advocate for environmental conservation, public health, and responsible community development.