PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — In wake of the Great Outdoors Initiative debacle, Palm Beach County commissioners are working to protect undeveloped land from future, similar proposals.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's now-scrapped plan proposed developing Jonathan Dickinson State Park and other state parks across Florida. Plans included adding hotels, lodging, pickleball courts and, in JD State Park, a golf course.
The plan was released in August, and after resounding opposition immediately sounded off across the state, decision makers in Tallahassee listened and pulled back on the plan.
Two months later, in Tuesday's meeting, Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to better protect more than 31,000 acres of the county's natural areas.
The county will now work with third-party land trusts, like Conservation Florida, to protect undeveloped land with private conservation easements, a legal agreement that restricts the development of a property.
“Our biggest job is maintaining the public trust and they trusted us years ago when we bought environmental lands with bonds,” said Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Maria Marino.
State
DeSantis: 'We're not going to take away any green space'
Conservation Florida, a community-based nonprofit land conservancy, works from Pensacola to the Florida Keys, and has so far permanently protected more than 35,000 acres of Florida land.
The nonprofit's CEO, Traci Deen, said the resolution will be critical in protecting undeveloped land from similar proposals to the Great Outdoors Initiative that could come about in the future.
“There should be no question about what conservation means and what permanency means, to all of us," said Deen. "All of us who are paying taxes in this state, enjoying our wild places and our public spaces, should know that those places are going to be like that forever.”
According to to a press release, the resolution is backed by more than 60 environmental organizations. It takes effect immediately.
"I am so proud that Palm Beach County continues to provide an example of what is possible for local governments through bold action and partnerships, building on decades of leadership in the preservation and restoration of our natural resources," wrote Deborah Drum, director of Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management, in a statement. "By collaborating with organizations like Conservation Florida, we guarantee these lands will remain natural havens for both wildlife and people for years to come."
The resolution will also guarantee natural land is not only protected from development but also maintained sustainably.
