Is outrage over state park plans inspiring more visits?

Fernando Amuchastegui and his family arrived Monday at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, sixty miles north of the hustle and bustle of Fort Lauderdale, inspired by recent stories and protests about the park’s future development.

“It’s nice to get away from the big city and come out here to nature to enjoy and see what all the fuss is about. State parks are a great way to spend time and learn about the environment and nature,” Amuchastegui said.

Cierra Garcia and her family also made the trip from Broward County to spend an afternoon kayaking, where she saw firsthand the outrage over the latest state park proposals.

“We went to Honeymoon Island last weekend and everyone was protesting there,” Garcia said.

For out-of-state visitors, a trip down the Loxahatchee River was enough to appreciate how unique the park is “as is,” without the golf courses.

“You can build a golf course anywhere. You can’t just build this. It’s natural and it’s probably been there forever,” said Gary Conn of Nashville.

Cyclists from all over Florida say that by meeting here, they are also contributing to the local economy.

“You’ve got the beaches, you’ve got DuBois Park pretty close by. All the restaurants that we all gather at later,” Richard McDaniels said.

And the youngest on two wheels understand their role in spreading information.

“They can probably spread the word about JD to other people and they can come. I don’t know why they would want to ruin our park,” said Kameron Daubenmire of West Palm Beach.

WPTV obtained a letter from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners formally opposing the construction of three golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Mayor Maria Sachs sent the letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection last week.

WPTV’s Jon Shainman reported last week that the Martin County Commission also formally opposed the golf course plan with a letter.

READ THE LETTER BELOW:

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