In a scathing letter addressed to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Republican U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with several local officials, expressed their opposition to the rushed process surrounding the state's proposal to develop golf courses on Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The officials criticized the scheduling of a one-hour public hearing at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, deeming it "absolutely ridiculous." They further noted that none of the members of the state committee responsible for voting on the plan would be present at the meeting to address the concerns raised by the public.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has planned simultaneous meetings across the state on Tuesday afternoon to obtain public input on their designs to introduce golf courses, lodges, pickleball courts, disc golf courses, and other amenities to nine state parks. Following these meetings, the Acquisition and Restoration Council will vote on whether to proceed with the development.

Rubio and Scott emphasized the importance of every voting member of the Acquisition and Restoration Council attending a public comment meeting before making any decisions regarding the proposal. They highlighted the inadequacy of a one-hour meeting during a weekday afternoon, which would prevent many people from attending due to work commitments.

While the letter primarily focuses on the process for public input specifically for Jonathan Dickinson State Park, it reflects a broader bipartisan backlash against the DeSantis administration's plans for amenities in all nine parks. The swift and overwhelming opposition prompted a steadfast response from the administration, which doubled down on their proposals.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park is home to a significant amount of protected scrub-jay habitat in Southeast Florida. The Department of Environmental Protection has assured that they will "minimize" the impact on these sensitive habitats. Additionally, they mentioned that one of the proposed pickleball courts at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Broward County would be built on existing parking lot land.

Other parks slated to receive pickleball courts include Hillsborough River State Park and Honeymoon Island in Pinellas County. Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for Governor DeSantis, stated that the additional amenities aim to make the parks more accessible to the public.

As of now, neither Governor DeSantis' office nor the Department of Environmental Protection has provided any comment on the letter from the senators.

Notably, this is not the first time Senator Rick Scott has faced criticism regarding plans to build golf courses on state parks. During his tenure as governor in 2011, similar proposals emerged after discussions between Scott and golfer Jack Nicklaus. However, both Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design have confirmed that they are not involved in any current proposals.

The letter from Rubio, Scott, and other officials demands two meetings—one in Stuart and another in Jupiter—to thoroughly address all concerns raised by the public. They suggested scheduling the meetings after Thanksgiving, as it would allow more part-time residents to be present in Florida during the winter, lending the process greater credibility.

U.S. Representative Brian Mast, who represents the district encompassing Jonathan Dickinson State Park, also lent his support to the letter. Mast urged voting members of the Acquisition and Restoration Council to attend the upcoming public meeting to directly engage with the residents affected by the proposed development. However, as of now, Mast has not received any response from council members.

The letter was signed by a total of 12 Treasure Coast officials, including State Senator Gayle Harrell, Representatives Toby Overdorf and John Snyder, and county commissioners from Martin and Palm Beach counties.

Public meetings regarding the proposed developments in the state parks are scheduled for August 27 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Specific locations can be found for Hillsborough River State Park, Honeymoon Island State Park, Oleta River State Park, Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Anastasia State Park, Camp Helen State Park, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, and Grayton Beach State Park.