Is pushback on Florida state parks plan a turning point?

>> TO THE POINT WITH MICHAEL WILLIAMS. >> GOOD MORNING. TALK ABOUT THE POWER OF A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT. A GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE THAT INCLUDED A BLUEPRINT FOR AMONG OTHER THINGS, 3 GOLF COURSES THAT JONATHAN DICKINSON STATE PARK MARTIN COUNTY IS OFFICIALLY SHELVED, BUT THEY'RE STILL LONG-TERM WORKERS. IT'S A NICE FOR NOW, THOUGH, BECAUSE OF STATEWIDE OUT CRY ABOUT THE SPOILING NATURE AND STATE PARKS ACROSS FLORIDA. MY GUEST JUST A GOOD NAME WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST. SOMEBODY WAS FRONT AND CENTER AND SO MUCH OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN HAPPEN IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS AND I'VE COVERED A LOT OF ISSUES FLORIDA AND I WILL SAY IT IS SELDOM WHEN YOU SEE SUCH BROAD OUTCRY THAT COALESCES AND HAS POLITICIANS, BOTH DEMOCRATS AND A LOT OF POWERFUL REPUBLICANS SAID THIS WILL NOT FLY. SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT OVER TILL IT'S OVER, BUT YOU DO HAVE A VICTORY HERE WITH ALL OF THIS BEING SHELVED, INCLUDING BY THE DPP THIS WEEK, THEY PUT OUT A PRETTY TERSE NOTE SAYING THEY ANNOUNCED THURSDAY, AS YOU WELL KNOW, WITHDRAWING ALL REMAINING PROPOSALS FOR RECREATIONAL PROJECTS. >> AT STATE PARKS AT THE GOVERNOR'S DIRECTION. ALL OF THAT LED TO THE DECISION TO WITHDRAW THE AND THEY TALK ABOUT FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC. YOUR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW? >> I MEAN, WE'VE GIVEN A LOT OF PUBLIC FEEDBACK. YOU KNOW, I THINK AGAIN. >> WE HEAR HIM SAY THAT THIS IS BEING SHELVED, BUT WE ALSO WEREN'T MADE AWARE OF WHEN THESE WERE COMING OUT TO BEGIN SO I THINK THAT OUR CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE READY TO GO ON UP TO OUR CAN TO TALLAHASSEE AND LET THEM KNOW HOW WE FELT ABOUT THIS ARC FOR VIEWERS IS THE ACQUISITION RESTORATION. SO AND THEY HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON THESE PARKS TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OR TO THE AMENDMENTS TO THE PARKS. >> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT BACK STORY BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD A MATTER OF POLICY IS A MATTER OF ALLOWING AN ENGINE DURING EARLY ON PUBLIC DEBATE, WHICH MANY OF YOU ALL FURIOUS TO SAY THE LEAST ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT THIS. IF 11TH HOUR FOR THE MOMENT, THOUGH, AT LEAST FOR RIGHT NOW YOU ONE. AND YOU HAVE TO, AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT, BE EMBOLDENED BY THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RALLY LOT OF GRASSROOTS SUPPORT. YOU LEAD THAT HERE. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE TAKEAWAYS YOU HAVE ABOUT WHAT YOU AND SO MANY OTHER ACTIVIST? >> WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER HAVING SPENT 5 YEARS ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND NOT FEELING HEARD A LOT OF THE TIME WE WERE HEARD THIS TIME. THIS WAS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT AND I'M A 35 PLUS YOUR LOCAL INTO QUESTION. SO AND INVOLVED IN ALMOST HAVE A HAND AND SIERRA CLUB AND THE FLORIDA TRAIL AND DAUGHTER OF THE REVOLUTION. SO I JUST SEEING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND SCRUB CLUB. WE'VE GOT ALL OF THE BIKERS WHO, YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT TOP MY KIDS DRIVE THEIR BIKE RIDE. SO FOR ME IS SOMEBODY THAT HAS BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR SO LONG AND KNOWS IT. WELL, I FELT LIKE I WAS SEEING THIS OUTRAGE BOIL AND WE NEEDED A PLACE FOR VOICES TO BE HEARD. AND I UNITED US AND I THINK THAT WAS RELIEVING, YOU KNOW, TO HEAR WHY DOES IT RESONATE SO MUCH WITH THIS DEBATE ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH OUR VITAL PARKLAND'S? WHY DO YOU THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT HAD SUCH DEEP RESIDENTS HERE IN THE CROSS, FLORIDA? >> I MEAN, BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR PARKS. YOU KNOW, FLORIDIANS WERE SO DEVELOPED HERE IN THE STATE. AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF US HAVE BROUGHT MY CHILDREN THERE. WE'VE BEEN TO PROGRAMS WE GO TO FIRE FEST. WE'VE LEARNED THE VALUE OF IT AND WE CONTINUE TO ENJOY AND LEARN ABOUT IT. AND THESE ARE PLACES FOR A LOT OF US THAT WE WANT IS KIDS. YOU KNOW, I'VE SOME RATTLESNAKE, HORSEBACK RIDING AND JONATHAN DICKINSON. SO, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAMS THERE AND WERE OUTRAGED TO HEAR THAT. >> AREAS IN LAND THAT WE LOVE WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FOR GOLF COURSE FOR GOLF COURSES. DOES IT SPEAK TO THAT DEEPER RECOGNITION AMONG FLORIDIANS ABOUT HOW MUCH FOR OUR NATURAL HERITAGE WE'VE LOST ABOUT WANTING TO MAINTAIN THE CONNECTIVITY TO WHAT'S LEFT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WAS SUCH A POWERFUL DRIVER, THE DEEP-SEATED LEVEL AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WHAT WE'VE LOST IN THE DESIRE, NATIONAL TO MAINTAIN WHAT IS LEFT. ABSOLUTELY. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW LIKE IN JUPITER, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT LOCATION WHERE WE WE DEVELOPED OVER WHERE FOR JUPITER WAS. THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY THAT WE'VE LOST AND THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO LEARN BECAUSE THINGS WERE DEVELOPED QUICKLY. SO I THINK THAT, YOU THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT FLORIDIANS, YOU KNOW, DID NOT WANT TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. THIS WILD. THE NOTION OF WILD FLORIDA, YOU KNOW, HAVING GROWN UP HERE, I SAW ARMADILLO AND PASS RACCOON AND GO FROM ANATOLIA EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP AS A KID. AND I KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE. SO I APPRECIATE THE SCIENCE VERIFYING THAT. BUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED HERE OVER 30 YEARS. >> WE'VE SEEN THE CHANGES IT. WHAT DO YOU SAY? THE SO YEAH, BE A GOLF COURSE OR WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOLF COURSE AND IT WOULD HELP AND OTHER PEOPLE CAN ENJOY. I MEAN, THAT WAS THE PITCH OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE WANTS TO MAKE SURE. >> OTHER PEOPLE HAVE AMENITIES. WHAT FUNDAMENTALLY DO YOU SAY TO THAT ARGUMENT? YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY GOLF COURSES AND I THINK THAT PUBLIC GOLF COURSES, EVEN YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE 10 MINUTES UP THE ROAD FROM JONATHAN DICKINSON. BUT I THINK THAT AGAIN. >> THOSE OF US THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WATER THEY TAKE AND HOW MUCH PESTICIDE AND FERTILIZER IS USED AND THE NOTION THAT IT WOULD BE INSIDE ONE OF OUR STATE PART OF THEY'RE NOT NATURAL. YES, AND THAT AGAIN, ARE ONE OF ONLY 2 FEDERALLY PROTECTED RIVERS. THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER WOULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER POLLUTED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF A GOLF COURSE WOULD BE. AND IT JUST SEEMS AND NOT TO MENTION I MEAN AND INSURANCE. AND OUR PARTICULAR PARK. BUT FOR US AGAIN, THIS IS ALL OF FLORIDA WAS BEING ATTACKED. ESSENTIALLY. WE SAW THE OUTRAGE DOWN SOUTH. YEAH, CEDAR RIVER STATE PARK IN THE MIAMI PASS OVER AND UP NORTH TO I MEAN, AGAIN, THROUGH THESE. THESE ARE PLACES THAT ARE LOST FLORIDA. YES, ABSOLUTELY. YOU TOUCHED ON SOMETHING WITH ME ON THE PHONE THIS WEEK AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HAVING THIS INTERVIEW THAT YOU'RE HAPPY WITH A VICTORY, BUT YOU DON'T THINK THE BATTLE IS DONE. AND WITH THAT IN MIND, CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT GOT TO THIS POINT. LET'S HAVE YOU LISTEN TO WHAT GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SAID. >> REALLY WHILE MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER THAT, EVERYTHING RUPP DIDN'T OUTRAGE. THESE ARE THE REMARKS HE MADE AT THE. >> AND AFTER BEING ASKED, IF YOU HAVE A NEWS CONFERENCE OVER IN POLK COUNTY THE OTHER PLEASE TAKE A LISTEN. >> SO THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS LEAKED WAS NOT APPROVED BY BY ME. I NEVER SAW SAW THAT. IT IS. GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. TALK TO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. HERE'S THE THING. I'D RATHER NOT SPEND ANY MONEY ON THIS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IF PEOPLE DON'T WANT IMPROVEMENTS, THEN DON'T DO IT. AND AND SO THAT WILL BE SOME THAT CITIZENS CAN BE ABLE TO DO. THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING THIS YEAR. THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND BASICALLY LISTEN TO FOLKS. A LOT OF THAT STUFF WAS JUST HALF BACON WAS NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME WHEN IT WAS AND IT WAS INTENTIONALLY LEAKED OUT TO A LEFT-WING GROUP TO TRY TO CREATE A NARRATIVE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE SINCE I'VE BEEN GOVERNOR, WE'VE ADDED OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION ACRES TO CONSERVATION LAND. WE ESTABLISH A FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR. SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF. AND ON THE STATE PARKS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE DOES NEED TO BE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE AWAY ANY GREEN SPACE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO WE HAVE AN EXISTING FOOTPRINT AND YOU DO. BUT I MEAN, IF WE DO NOTHING, THEN THAT'S FINE WITH ME. >> NAME WITH AMONG OTHER THINGS, A LEFT-WING GROUP LINKED TO WHERE JUST LIKE WHO WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ASKING FOR. THE UPDATES AND AND TALK ABOUT YOUR OVERALL REACTION TO THAT. SOME OF THOSE WHO EXPRESS IT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE I KNOW THAT I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM. AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT SOONER THAN THAT, I MEAN, HE DIDN'T EVEN ADDRESS IT. HE JUST ANSWERED QUESTIONS. THANK GOODNESS. SOMEBODY ASKED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD BEEN WAITING AND FIGHTING FOR A WEEK OVER A WEEK AT THAT POINT AND WANTING TO HEAR FROM HIM. AND I KNOW THERE'S A FUNDAMENTAL CONCERN THAT IS AN OUTGROWTH OF THAT ABOUT HOW DID WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE THERE WAS GOING TO BE A MEETING IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE THE PRINCIPALS WHO WOULD VOTE ON IT WOULD NOT BE THERE AND THAT YOU ALL FELT AMONG OTHER THINGS WE'RE FINDING OUT AT THE 11TH HOUR. TALK ABOUT THAT MORE. THAT GIVES POTENTIAL CONCERN, EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWED THAT EVEN THOUGH POWERFUL LAWMAKERS >> ARE SUGGESTING IT'S NEVER GONNA GET BACK ON THE TABLE. BUT HAVING SAID ALL THAT ABOUT THE CONCERNS THAT ENGENDERED AND YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS GOING FORWARD. >> YOU KNOW, I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT HE THIS WAS HALF-BAKED, YOU KNOW, AND THAT HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW HE'S A VERY HANDS-ON GOVERNOR. YOU'VE BEEN LIKING TO REVIEW RECORDS REQUESTS AND THINGS AND IT MADE IT AS FAR AS THE FINAL APPROVAL STAGE. IT WAS ON THE DPS WEBSITE. THEY WERE TWEETING OUT ABOUT AXING OR WHATEVER THAT'S CALLED, YOU KNOW, OUT ABOUT IT SOUNDING EXCITED ABOUT THIS GREAT OUTDOOR INITIATIVE. AND SO AGAIN, TO NOT ADDRESS IT UP FRONT AND THEN TO DO IT IN THE WAY THAT HE DIDN'T KIND OF BRUSH IT OFF WAS ADDING INSULT TO INJURY AT THIS POINT. >> MOVING FORWARD, GIVING GIVEN THE FACT THAT A BATTLE HAS BEEN WON. BUT AS YOU AND OTHERS HAVE SAID, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE WAR OVER THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. WHAT WILL BE THE POSITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS LIKE THOSE YOU HELP SPEAK FOR DONE AND STATE WIDE AS YOU PRESS FOR EVEN MORE ANSWERS MOVING FORWARD AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS NEVER COMES BACK IN THE FORM THAT HOUSE WERE BEING PROMISED THAT BY SOME LAWMAKERS. BUT WHERE DO YOU ALL GO FROM NOW? WELL, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THROUGH IT IN THE SENSE THAT EVERYBODY WAS READY TO FOLLOW UP AND GO TO TALLAHASSEE. AND WE SAW THESE MEETINGS IS SORT OF JUST A CHECK BOX THAT NEEDED FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCEDURE. >> I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNISTIC AND ELECTION-RELATED DELAY, DELAY, DELAY AND ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN IN POLITICS KNOWS THAT A COMMON MOVE THAT IS MADE TO KIND OF TAKE THE STEAM OUT OF SOMETHING WHICH WILL NOT HAPPEN HERE BECAUSE WE CONTINUE JUST TO FIND INFORMATION OUT LIKE THE 324 ACRES, YOU KNOW, FLORIDA, FOREVER LAND THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SWAP ARE AT IN THE FINAL STAGE OF GETTING READY TO SWAP FOR A GOLF OR TO A COMPANY THAT OWNS GOLF COURSE. SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE AND WHERE FOCUSING ON ALL OF THE OTHER ISSUES, INCLUDING MAKING SURE THAT WE RAISE ENOUGH AWARENESS AND WE GET OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAD PARKS TO MAKE STATEMENTS AND WRITE LETTERS OF REASSURANCE AND 2 ADDRESS THE PUBLIC AND ENSURE THAT DURING THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, THIS WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT HAPPENING. >> YOU HAVE LIVED AND BREATHED THIS AS HAVE SO MANY OTHERS CENTER TURNING POINT THAT WILL LAST LONGER THAN THIS ISSUE. DO YOU THINK SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN THAT COLAS MOVEMENTS BIT MORE? IS THAT OR IS THAT OUTLANDISH TO SAY THAT? SO THAT QUESTION AND THEN YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS AFTER AS YOU AND OTHERS CATCH YOUR BREATH RIGHT NOW? YES, I THINK THAT, YES, IT WILL, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A VERY UNIFYING ISSUE. YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A BIPARTISAN CONCERN, WHICH IS WHY WE WERE ABLE TO GET SO LOUD ABOUT IT. WE UNITED. >> WITH THIS AND FLORIDIANS JOINED TOGETHER FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL, YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU ENJOYED IN THE STATE PARKS AND YOU DIDN'T LIKE BEING LIED TO. WE DIDN'T LIKE BEING WHAT SEEMED LIKE LIED TO AND HAVING THINGS TAKEN AWAY. SO I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, MY FINAL THOUGHT WOULD BE THAT IT DIDN'T FEEL VERY VICTORIOUS YESTERDAY. IT FELT LIKE THEY'VE ARE KIND OF TRYING TO SLIDE SOMETHING UNDER THE RUG. BUT I GIVEN WISE WORDS BY A VERY WISE WOMAN. MISS BETTY OSCEOLA HAVE REMINDED ME THAT IT'S ANY BATTLES OFTEN TAKES TO WIN A WAR. SO THIS IS THE FIRST BATTLE. AND I GUESS IT'S A SMALL VICTORY FOR US, BUT WE'RE FOCUSED ON ON THE BATTLE IN WINNING THE WAR. >> LAST STOP. WHEN YOU STAND OUT OF JONATHAN DICKINSON, STATE PARK WITH YOU, YOUNGSTERS ARE OTHERS. JUST YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU'RE AWAY FROM ALL OF THIS AND YOU'RE STANDING THERE ON A QUIET MORNING OR EVENING. >> I MEAN, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. IT'S JUST SHEER BEAUTY AND ON THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVER, YOU KNOW, IT'S PEACEFUL. AND IT IS THE FLORIDA THAT WE LOVE AND WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE TRAINED IN THEIR MEMORIES LIKE WE HAVEN'T HOURS. >> WE APPRECIATE YOU AS THE NAME OF COMING IN TO BE OUR GUEST. JUST COME IN WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS WHO WORKS WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF GROUPS AND OR IS ROOTED. AND THE STORY OF JONATHAN DICKINSON, A NATURAL LANDS AS ARE SO MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN PART AND PARCEL OF THIS EFFORT. WE'LL HAVE YOUR BACK WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOLLOWING THE STORY AS WE WPTV. BUT THANKS FOR TAKING A FEW MOMENTS OF YOUR TIME FOR A VACATION. WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOCUSING YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. THANKS AGAIN FOR