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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tried to distance himself from a controversial proposal to build golf courses and hotels in state parks, saying he didn鈥檛 approve the proposals before they were "leaked."
"It was not approved by me, I never saw that," DeSantis said at an in Winter Haven. "They鈥檙e going back to the drawing board. 鈥� They're not doing anything this year. They're going to go back and basically listen to folks. A lot of that stuff was half-baked and was not ready for prime time. And it was intentionally leaked out to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative."
The proposal for some state parks sparked outrage among residents. DeSantis made it sound as if the "half-baked" plan was leaked before it was ready. But the department鈥檚 attempted public rollout shows this was a proposal in its final stages.
READ MORE: Florida 'whistleblower' says he was fired for leaking plans to build golf courses in state parks
The state published its full plans on a government website alongside an announcement for simultaneous public meetings across Florida within a matter of days. Officials in the governor鈥檚 office showed support of the plan at first, and state officials made a series of social media graphics touting it.
The Tampa Bay Times broke the story about the state park plans Aug. 20, and some of the details had been leaked to the outlet days earlier. By the time the story published, however, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection had already issued a press release and planned public meetings.
The department鈥檚 news release said its 2024-25 "Great Outdoors Initiative" would "expand public access, increase outdoor activities and provide new lodging options."
The next day the department to its website for the nine parks.
The proposed plans included building golf courses, pickleball courts, disc golf courses and hotels in the parks. Multiple golf courses were pitched for Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County and 350-room hotels were proposed for Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine and TopSail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach.
The Florida Department of State sent a notification Aug. 20 announcing plans to hold Aug. 27 public meetings about the proposed plans across the state. The department advertised the initiative on its accounts starting
News of the proposed plans drew condemnation from and and sparked protests throughout the state.
The department canceled the public meetings and for golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
READ MORE: DeSantis blames '