The very idea of allowing hunting in Florida's state parks is preposterous even for Gov. Rick Scott's tone-deaf administration. Beyond the threat to human safety, the sights and sounds of hunters blasting away at animals in these natural preserves would undermine the very purpose of the parks. This is another example of an administration that shows no appreciation for this state's fundamental values and natural treasures, and Floridians should not stand for it.
The proposal by Scott's Department of Environmental Protection is contained in internal documents obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and caught environmentalists by surprise. But it's only the latest bad idea in DEP Secretary Jon Steverson's illogical quest to make the park system pay for itself. As the Times' Craig Pittman reported, the documents did not specify which of the state parks might be suitable spots for hunters to shoot deer, turkey, beavers, hogs and other animals — perhaps even bears. If approved, a review of the parks that could be targeted "for immediate implementation" could move forward within 30 to 60 days.
If anything is to be killed, it should be this ridiculous idea. There has never been hunting in state parks, and the reason is obvious. Killing an animal within the confines of a nature preserve is entirely at odds with the purpose of the park system itself. "State parks are supposed to be a place that protects wildlife, not a place to kill them," said Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club. Does that really need to be explained to the public stewards at the DEP?
Florida has no shortage of land where hunting is allowed. There is no reason the state should be putting new pressure on wildlife and ruining the entertainment and educational experience of the park system in the process. The parks already provide the state with billions of dollars in revenue from the tens of millions of people who visit from both at home and abroad. And state law makes the DEP's responsibility abundantly clear: to "conserve these natural values for all time" and "without depleting them" to give the public a better understanding and appreciation of Florida nature and history.
But this sound mission for the park system seems entirely lost on Steverson, who in March told state legislators he wants the park system to pay for itself. To that end, he would rent park space to ranchers to graze cattle, allow timber companies to harvest trees from the forests and now let hunters fire away at will. "I want to maximize value for the taxpayers," Steverson explained, "but also for the environment."
While the DEP insists that no decision has been made, hunting remains on the table. And records suggest the DEP wants action on these new potential moneymakers by the end of this year.
The parks system was never designed as a cash cow for state government or to pay for itself. State lawmakers have an obligation to fund the parks, and the DEP has a responsibility to properly manage these lands on behalf of the taxpayers who own them. Steverson is overseeing a public trust, not a retail operation. And for the record, it's the Department of Environmental Protection, not Destruction.