MIAMI – Ocean Conservancy is encouraged by the decision to reconsider the controversial development proposals for Florida state parks, which included plans for golf courses, pickleball courts and hotels. These proposals, called “The Great Outdoors Initiative,”  sparked significant public opposition and raised concerns about the long-term preservation of Florida’s natural landscapes. While the decision to go back to the drawing board is a positive step, Ocean Conservancy urges continued vigilance in protecting Florida’s parks from commercial development that would undermine their natural balance and ultimately have downstream impacts on the ocean.

“This decision to pause the proposed development plans is a step in the right direction, but the focus must remain on protecting the ecological integrity of our state parks,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Florida Conservation Program Manager, Maggie Winchester-Weiler. “We applaud the efforts of the individuals who made phone calls to elected officials, spoke out on social media, and even visited our state parks to peacefully demonstrate their outrage of the ‘Great Outdoors Initiative’.

Maggie Winchester-Weiler, M.Sc., Ocean Conservancy’s Florida Conservation Program Manager, is available for interviews and comments regarding the decision to halt development plans.

To set up an interview with Winchester-Weiler, email Roya Fox at [email protected] 

Florida’s residents and the millions of people who visit the state each year enjoy the beaches, waterways, and wildlife. Ocean Conservancy works tirelessly to build more locally led, grassroots power for the ocean. This ocean justice lens exists over all of the conservation initiatives led by Ocean Conservancy. You can learn more about Ocean Conservancy’s efforts in Florida here. 

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ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY  

Ocean Conservancy envisions a healthier ocean, protected by a more just world. Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.