The group leading a plan to build a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park is withdrawing the proposal, a Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokesman told the Tampa Bay Times on Sunday.
State officials said in a statement that the plan for the state park was submitted by a little-known group, the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, registered as a nonprofit in Delaware. But the foundation's Florida lobbyist registry lists it as having the same address in Oklahoma as Folds of Honor, a national veterans charity that was seeking to build a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
The Tampa Bay Times reported yesterday that Folds of Honor, which has ties to golfer Jack Nicklaus, had previously approached a state senator and Martin County commissioner with a proposal to build a golf course, but was told it was a bad idea by both. According to Governor DeSantis' schedule, he met one-on-one with the nonprofit's founder, Lt. Gov. Dan Rooney, on April 10.
In a statement distributed to Florida journalists, the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation said it selected Folds of Honor as the charity to receive the golf course's proceeds. Dan Bongino, a conservative podcast host who lives in Martin County, where the golf course is slated to be built, said in an online statement Sunday that he'd spoken with friends of Folds of Honor and they “are not interested in moving forward with this project.” Bongino, who has donated thousands of dollars to the nonprofit, said the organization “did not understand the local passion for JD Park.”
Although Tuskegee Dunes has a low profile, the foundation has two registered lobbyists in Tallahassee, including Ryan Matthews, who briefly led the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2017. Neither Matthews nor the group's other lobbyist, Joseph Salzberg, immediately responded to voicemails left Sunday seeking more information about the group.
“The Florida Department of Environmental Protection appreciates the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation's good faith proposal to build a public golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. While the Foundation has withdrawn its proposal, it has continued to work with the state on a project to build a world-class public golf course for all while supporting veterans, first responders and their families. Their plan to honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen was noble,” spokesman Alex Kuchta said in a statement.
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“The project is being removed from the agency's review,” Kuchta concluded in his emailed statement. The Times asked whether the agency was dropping the proposal for a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park entirely, or whether it was just removing Tuskegee Dunes' involvement. As of Sunday evening, no response had been received.
Tuskegee Dunes' website posted a statement from the group on Sunday, beginning with the words, “There is no golfing allowed at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.” The group also provided the Times with the same statement, noting that it had worked with the state of Florida on the proposal and that it had “received clear feedback that Jonathan Dickinson State Park is not a suitable site for a golf course.”
In its comments Sunday, the Department of Environmental Protection did not address any policy changes for eight other state parks that also plan to add facilities such as hotels or pickleball courts.
The move comes after massive protests across Florida over the weekend, with thousands gathering in state parks that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has earmarked for potential new development. More than 100 people gathered on Honeymoon Island on Saturday and Sunday. Hundreds also gathered at Anastasia State Park and Jonathan Dickinson State Park to protest the state's plans.
Times reporter Emily L. Mahoney contributed to this report.