An Open Letter to FDEP

 

Dear FDEP,

 

I am writing today to express my disapproval of the plans to revise the land use of Jonathan Dickinson State Park (JDSP). I disagree with this plan based on concerns for ecology, concerns with projected use of the proposed lands, and concerns about the future of the park.

 

Ecological Concerns

In heavily developed South Florida, it is rare to find a plot of land with minimal development. As is stated on the state park website, the proposed development areas is part of a series of dune habitat of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. To quote the JDSP website:

 

“ The hills found in the eastern portion of the park adjacent to US highway 1 are some of the only hills found in the area and many of the plants and animals which grow upon them are unique to the desert like conditions of the dunes. The plant community which occupies these sand dunes, the Sand Pine Scrub, is a disappearing habitat which is home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Many of these species are endangered and some are specific only to Jonathan Dickinson State Park and Florida.”

 

Based on your own description, this is fragile and rare ecosystem which provides a safe-haven for endangered species. The stated goal of the Florida State Parks “is to create a sense of place by showing park visitors the best of Florida's diverse natural and cultural sites.” I fail to see how building of a golf course at the expense of a natural  “disappearing habitat”  aligns with the goal of the Florida State Parks. Outside of the initial environmental impacts of constructing a golf course by removing scrub habitat, I have concerns about lingering effects related to maintenance of the proposed course. Regular pesticide and fertilizer use to maintain golf courses pose a threat to the water systems and surrounding habitats which surround the proposed course.  Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a natural enclave along the South Florida Coastal Corridor and I fear that this refuge for the natural ecosystem would experience much harm by this plan.

 

Use of Proposed Land Concerns

On top of the environmental concerns, I fear that the proposed design will not be beneficial due to the mount use of a golf course in the state park. South Florida is no strange to golf courses and with plenty of options, I fear the amount of impact in building a golf course would exceed the actual use of the course. There are 7 other golf courses within a 5 mile radius of t he main park entrance (and plenty more beyond this arbitrary distance). There is no shortage of options for both public and private golf courses in the area. A stated objective for developing a golf course in JDSP is to “Increase public access to recreational golfing opportunities. ” To be frank, this objective is laughable due to the aforementioned concentration of golf courses in the area.

 

I am no stranger to golf and do not mean to vilify the idea of golf courses. I am the son of a PGA Professional, I grew up playing golf, and I enjoy playing it. It sounds miserable to play golf in a field of sand dunes marked by the scrub habitat. To make a suitable course, significant amounts of soil would have to be moved into the park and this does not seem to align with goal to be “developed in harmony with the surrounding natural environments” as stated in the Conceptual Land Use Plan.

 

One big concern that I have is that the course will be developed and then it will be underutilized by park goers. Clearing the natural habitat and then not getting return for doing so seems likely to me.  Though never stated in documents, I speculate that an aim of this development is also to bring a new demographic into the park to help with economic revenue. While I cannot fault a park for trying to boost capital, I do not expect that this would be effective. As previously stated, there are plenty of golf course options already available. Additionally, a public entity cannot charge too much for a round of golf or else the “everyday man” would not be able to afford it and that would not align with the mission of Florid State Parks. Conversely, a golf course require significantly more maintenance than natural land and there are costs associated with this. I do not see this as a viable long term strategy to attract people to the park (although, again, this is just speculation on my part). In my humble opinion, a better use of these funds would be to fix the reported safety concerns of the Hobe Mountain Observation Tower.

 

Future of the Park Concerns  

Finally, I have concerns about what building a golf course would mean for the future of the park. Building a golf course is the very embodiment of disrupting the natural ecosystem. Tearing down natural vegetation of “disappearing habitats” and  replacing it with more “aesthetic” vegetation that needs to be groomed, manicured, and irrigated feels like a threat to the conservation of a rare and “disappearing habitat.” My question is what will the next thing be? Draining a lake to build a water park? Bulldozing hiking trails to put raceways? Replacing the educational visitor center with a shopping plaza? These may sound extreme, but they are all exist in the same principle of appealing to more people at the expense of the natural land. To quote the great Joni Mitchell, “They paved paradise and put up a Parking lot” and I fear that is the future of JDSP.

 

I am writing this letter because I care about the park. Jonathan Dickinson State Park was “my state park” growing up. It is where I first learned to canoe with my family. It is what captivated me with the mythos of historic “Old Florida” at Trapper Nelson’s  home and the endless scrub. Hikes in the scrub and along the Loxahatchee River inspired me to pursue a PhD in the earth sciences and pursue a career as a hydrologist. I can remember every camping trip with my family and my Boy Scout Troop there. I remember seeing the view atop the Hobe Mountain Observation Tower and thinking I was transported to the Serengeti or some far away land. I remember learning about the importance of conserving nature, managing the land properly, and respecting wildlife. Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a special place and I would hate to see it become just another overdeveloped plot of land.   

 

I hope that you will reconsider the amendment to the Unit Management Plan

.

Kyle Compare, Ph.D.

View form Hobe Mountain Overlook. 2013

Hiking with my mom and sister in the Scrub. 2013