Protect Our Parks

Protect Our Parks

Send my email
image of Protect Our Parks

Last summer, thousands of Floridians rallied together to oppose a ridiculous proposal to build hotels, golf courses, and pickleball courts in State Parks across Florida. In response to that outcry, legislators have filed Senate Bill 80/ House Bill 209, the "State Park Preservation Act" to prevent similar threats in the future. While this bill is a step in the right direction, It needs stronger language to adequately protect our parks. 

Tell Our Legislators to Strengthen SB 80/ HB 209

We need your help to ensure stronger, long-term protections for Florida’s state parks and other public lands. Contact the bill ...

Last summer, thousands of Floridians rallied together to oppose a ridiculous proposal to build hotels, golf courses, and pickleball courts in State Parks across Florida. In response to that outcry, legislators have filed Senate Bill 80/ House Bill 209, the "State Park Preservation Act" to prevent similar threats in the future. While this bill is a step in the right direction, It needs stronger language to adequately protect our parks. 

Tell Our Legislators to Strengthen SB 80/ HB 209

We need your help to ensure stronger, long-term protections for Florida’s state parks and other public lands. Contact the bill sponsors and urge them to:

  • Strengthen conservation intent language - Clearly define that state parks exist to conserve natural lands and promote nature-based recreation, not activities that require altering the landscape.
  • Remove language encouraging development in ‘disturbed’ areas - Many of these areas can be restored to provide valuable wildlife habitat and ecosystem benefits. They should not be earmarked for development.
  • Clarify rules for unsolicited development proposals - The bill should specify what types of privately proposed projects can be considered for state parks and prevent harmful development from being fast-tracked through public-private partnership loopholes.
  •  Eliminate vague terms that weaken protections - Phrases like “to the maximum extent practicable,” “significant harm,” and “avoid” create loopholes that could allow destructive activities. These should be removed for clear, enforceable protections.
  • Add explicit prohibitions and definitions - Clearly list prohibited activities to remove ambiguity in how the law is applied.
  • Extend protections to state forests and wildlife management areas - These public lands face similar threats and should receive the same protections as state parks.
+

Tell Our Legislators to Strengthen SB 80/ HB 209

We are glad that state legislators have heard our voices and filed Senate Bill 80/ House Bill 209 the "State Park Preservation Act" to prevent the development and destruction of state parks. However, while this bill is well-intended, it needs stronger language to adequately protect our parks. 

Contact the bill sponsors and urge them to:

  • Strengthen conservation intent 
  • Remove language encouraging development in ‘disturbed’ areas 
  • Clarify rules for unsolicited development proposals
  • Eliminate vague terms that weaken protections 
  • Add explicit prohibitions and definitions 
  • Extend protections to state forests and wildlife management areas 

Customized emails are more impactful. You can include things like:

  • Which parks in your community were targeted last summer
  • Descriptions of people rallying to protect our parks last summer
  • The importance of state parks to you and your family
  • An expression of gratitude for filing this bill, paired with a request to strengthen the language 

Where do you live?

Compose your email

Email Tips +

  • Don't forget to include the name and number for the bill.
  • Clearly state what you are urging them to do (Example: "Strengthen this bill because...")
  • Keep it short. There is no need to write a whole essay. A few sentences will do. 
  • Make it personal. Elected officials tend to ignore emails that are copied and pasted from 100s of people. Add a personal touch like a story or how this bill would impact your community. 

How we use the data you enter on this form

Do Gooder (the advocacy platform powering this online action) processes personal information from you that you enter on this form so that we can provide the functions and related services to you and The Campaigner (the organisation responsible for this online action) for their legitimate purposes, including possibly exporting it to other systems, and to effectively respond to enquiries and communications related to those services.

Specifically when you enter:

  • Your location data (residential address or postcode) it is used to locate your elected representative, to pre-populate your email signature and to provide The Campaigner with a visualisation of the location of the support for this campaign.

  • All other data you may enter, including your email address, name, telephone number, commentary and so on is used by The Campaigner to advocate for the campaign’s goals and where required may be sent to the target of the campaign.

The data collected by Do Gooder is also used by us in aggregate form to improve the service and may be held on your behalf outside your country of residence by our third party service providers. These providers are bound by contract to only use personal information on our behalf, in accordance with agreed terms. While the privacy laws of the country in which personal information is stored or transferred may be different from those in your country, we will always have safeguards in place when storing or transferring personal information. We will never sell, rent, loan or in any other way pass your information on to other parties other than to provide this service to you and The Campaigner.

The personal information collected by Do Gooder is held subject to a Data Processing Agreement between Do Gooder and The Campaigner in compliance with the EU's GDPR and Australian law.

Learn more about our privacy policy here

How is my data used?