Huge Protest to Save Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine

St. Augustine turned out in big numbers to protest against the changes to Florida's state parks and to save Anastasia State Park located in St. Augustine Beach.

A massive protest on social media turned to the streets this Sunday as letter-writing campaigns are under way across the state, and people are calling their local and state legislators and representatives to put a stop to the hotel, golf courses, and pickle ball projects from moving forward.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection canceled the original meetings across the state scheduled for this coming Tuesday saying that they are trying to find bigger venues to accommodate a big turnout. 

As we await new meeting dates, Floridians are not resting, and nature lovers from all corners of the state are coming together to organize, as they fear their pristine state parks will soon become resorts. 

The outrage over the planned takeover of the parks is only growing stronger, and park lovers are on edge, as they feel the state tried to push the state park changes through without any real oversight or accountability. 

A new Save Anastasia State Park Facebook group already has more than 8000 members, and the organizers planned today's protest at the entrance to Anastasia State Park along Anastasia Boulevard. 

You can find the Florida State Parks Changes survey here. Make sure to check all the state parks.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7983173/Great-Outdoors-Initiative

Join the Save Anastasia State Park Letter Writing Party at Spinster Abbott's

When: August 26 at 6 pm - 9 pm

Where: 62 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine 

What: more info at the Spinster Abbott's St. Augustine instagram page.

Where to call and email to Save Anastasia State Park & the other Florida State Parks

Florida Department of Environmental Protection contact info.

3900 Commonwealth Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000

Public.Services@FloridaDEP.gov 

850-245-2118

Contact your Representatives:

Florida State Senator District 7 

Florida House Representatives 

St. Johns County Commissioners 

Florida Governor's Office

City of St. Augustine Beach Commissioners 

St. Augustine City Commission 

The names of the Aquisition and Restoration Council that will be voting on the changes to the nine Florida's State Parks

Hank.Vinson@floridadep.gov sine.murray@floridadep.gov meghan.lauer@floridadep.gov Keith.Singleton@FloridaDEP.gov James.Parker@FloridaDEP.gov _

Hank.Vinson@floridadep.gov ARC Agenda Coordinator 

Support Staff Division of State Lands, Office of Environmental Services Department of Environmental Protection 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 140 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000 

Program Administrator - Sine Murray, 850-245-2773 

Land Conservation/Florida Forever - Meghan Lauer, 850-245-2678 sine.murray@floridadep.gov meghan.lauer@floridadep.gov 

Land management - Keith Singleton, 850-245-2760/James Parker, 850-245-3045 Keith.Singleton@FloridaDEP.gov James.Parker@FloridaDEP.gov 

Acquisition and Restoration Council and Conservation Easements - Hank Vinson, 850-245-2314 Hank.Vinson@floridadep.gov 

Agency Council Members Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Chair) Mara Gambineri, Deputy Secretary for Land and Recreation 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 144 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 850-245-2044 

Staff: Callie DeHaven, Division of State Lands Director 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 100 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 850-245-2025 

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission George Warthen, Chief Conservation Officer 620 South Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 850-487-3796 

Staff: Larame Ferry Division of Habitat and Species Conservation 620 South Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 850-487-9185 Florida 

Forest Service Rick Dolan, Director 3125 Conner Boulevard, Room 228 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650 850-681-5800 

Staff: Cat Ingram Land Planning and Administration 3125 Conner Boulevard Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650 850-681-5827

Florida Division of Historical Resources Alissa Lotane, Director 500 South Bronough Street, M.S. 4 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 850-245-6333 

Staff: Brandon Ackermann B. Calvin Jones Center for Archaeology 1001 DeSoto Park Drive Tallahassee, Florida 32301 850-245-6334 

Agency Appointee Council Members Lynetta Usher Griner, Vice Chair (Florida Forest Service) Griner Usher Land & Timber, Inc. P.O. Box 1819 Chiefland, FL 32644 352-493-4221 or 352-493-2568

Bill Palmer, Ph.D., President (Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy 13093 Henry Beadel Drive Tallahassee, FL 32312 850-893-4153 x226 

Gubernatorial Appointee Council Members Elva Peppers, President Florida Environmental and Land Services, Inc. 221-4 Delta Court Tallahassee, FL 32303 850-385-6255

Florida's Aquisition and Restoration Council

Email your comments to the below email addresses:

AnastasiaSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov CampHelenSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov Dr.VonD.MizellEulaJohnsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov HillsboroughRiverSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov HoneymoonIslandSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov JonathanDickinsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov OletaRiverSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov WaltonCountySPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov (for Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Grayton Beach State Park)

Sign the Florida Wildlife Federation Save Florida's State Parks petition

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