Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has put on hold a proposal to introduce large-scale developments, including golf courses, pickleball courts and 350-room hotels, in state parks after widespread public and political opposition. The governor announced the decision at a news conference on Wednesday, his first public remarks since his administration’s proposals were leaked last week.

“They’re going back to the drawing board,” DeSantis said, signaling a change of direction after the proposal sparked considerable controversy. “I’d rather not spend any money on it. If people don’t want improvements, then we won’t make them.”

The proposed Great Outdoors Initiative, unveiled last week by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), immediately sparked strong reactions from both citizens and political leaders. The initiative, which aimed to add modern amenities to several state parks, including Jonathan Dickinson State Park, was met with fierce opposition from both elected officials and the public. The outcry included protests in parks across the state and petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures opposing the development plans.

Criticism also came from DeSantis’ own party, which is unusual given the governor’s normally strong influence among Florida Republicans. High-ranking Republican officials, including members of Congress, state legislators and Cabinet members, were quick to voice their opposition to the plan. The dissent represents a rare unified stance against a proposal from the DeSantis administration.

In response to the backlash, DeSantis distanced himself from the initiative, calling it a “half-baked idea” that did not receive his approval. “This is something that was leaked. I did not approve it; I never saw it,” DeSantis explained. “A lot of it was half-baked and not ready for prime time. It was intentionally leaked to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative.”

Following the governor’s comments, South Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called for an investigation into the origins of the proposal. “We need DeSantis to release all records related to this greedy land grab and for the Inspector General to investigate who really supported him,” Wasserman Schultz tweeted, expressing concern about the transparency of the process.

Since taking office in 2019, DeSantis has worked to establish himself as an environmental advocate, often highlighting his administration’s efforts to protect Florida’s natural spaces. He suggested that the leak of these plans was an attempt to undermine his environmental record, which he called a “false narrative.” “We are not going to get into the golf course business in the state of Florida,” DeSantis assured, further clarifying that any improvements to state parks should not come at the expense of green spaces.

The DEP had originally scheduled a series of public meetings to discuss the initiative, including one in Stuart, but those were postponed amid growing controversy. DeSantis stressed his willingness to forego the developments altogether if the public wants them. “The thing is, I’d rather not spend any money on this, right? If people don’t want improvements, they won’t,” he said. “I’m totally fine with just doing nothing and not making improvements if that’s what the public wants.”

The proposal, which originally aimed to upgrade state parks with modern facilities, quickly became a political issue. Prominent Republicans such as Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, both of whom are considered possible successors to DeSantis, publicly opposed the initiative. U.S. Representatives Brian Mast, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott also criticized the plan, with Mast, whose district includes Jonathan Dickinson State Park, being particularly vocal. Mast condemned the proposal, calling it a plan to “flatten Jonathan Dickinson State Park” and vowing to investigate how the plans were developed without local government involvement.

_{Note: The story was first published by Mark Stone at Florida Media Now and is shared with permission.}