https://thebradentontimes.com/stories/desantis-touts-environmental-record-amid-criticism-of-plan-to-build-golf-courses-in-state-parks,102680 by Jackie Llanos On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis promoted his initiatives to restore the Everglades and improve water quality, as his administration's plan to build golf courses, lodging, and pickleball courts in some state parks garnered backlash. "We have done more in our tenure, in terms of Everglades restoration, in terms of improving water quality -- what we're doing with the Indian River Lagoon, nobody's done. It's historic," the governor said during a press conference on Thursday, during which he announced a $5.8 million grant for Space Coast Regional Airport. It's not just environmental groups ringing the alarm about the plan -- Senate President Katleen Passidomo, plus a Panhandle Republican lawmaker and members of the Florida Cabinet have come out against the plan, which would disturb the landscape at nine parks across the state. The Cabinet comprises independently elected statewide officers who help governors oversee state land. Passidomo said in a statement to the Florida Phoenix that the state has worked to improve outdoor activities, such as biking and hiking, not hotels and golf courses. "Our vision did not contemplate the addition of golf courses and hotels, which in my view are not in line with the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of nature," she said. "I am open to other ideas, but from what I know at this time, the proposal should not move forward in its current form." The DeSantis administration portrays the proposed changes as an attempt to make the parks more accessible. Jeremy Redfern, the governor's press secretary wrote in a statement that the plans aren't final. "The agency's initial recommendations are based on public input and proposals -- from pickleball to golf to additional bike trails and camping access; the proposals vary and may not all be approved. Finally, recommendations will be evaluated, and no final decisions will be made until the public comment and review process has been completed," he wrote. Panhandle Sen. Jay Trumbull, who chairs the Committee on Commerce and Tourism, took to X to express his "strong opposition" on Thursday, writing that the state should not try to compete with private businesses. "Our state parks are a treasure, and they should remain focused on their primary mission: offering a refuge for those who seek to experience Florida's natural beauty in its purest form," he wrote. "I urge my fellow lawmakers and citizens to join me in protecting these parks from unnecessary development and ensuring that our natural heritage is preserved for all to enjoy." Three of the nine state parks targeted in the expansion -- Camp Helen, Topsail Hill Preserve, and Grayton Beach -- fall within his district. Cabinet dissent Two of his cabinet members, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, shared their concerns with building infrastructure in state parks, according to Florida Politics. "Public lands should be enjoyed and protected. We have to be really careful when we talk about building infrastructure in state parks," Simpson told Florida Politics. He also posted the comment on X. The news organization also quoted Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis warning against starting down a "slippery slope." "The current state parks have established designation, design, followings for their theme or characteristics," Patronis said. House Speaker Paul Renner and Speaker-elect Danny Perez did not immediately respond to requests for comment. _____________________________________________________ **2 August 2024: Updated to include the most recent version of the PowerPoint slides from the BCWPA Open Forum which was held 17 June 2024 as mentioned below** PROJECT TITLE: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Broward County Water Preserve Areas, Contract 2.1, C-11 Impoundment Land Clearing, Broward County, Florida DESCRIPTION OF WORK: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, intends to issue an Invitation for Bid (IFB) to award a single firm fixed-price contract. The project consists of using heavy equipment for clearing and grubbing areas shown on the plans within the C-11 Impoundment project limits for the Broward County Water Preserve Area (BCWPA), Contract 2.1. For the CNT 2.1 clearing and grubbing project, vegetation debris may either be burned on site or hauled off-site for disposal. Due to environmental restrictions, open air burning is not allowed. All burning must be performed within air curtain incinerators. Ash from burning operations must be contained and disposed of off-site. Due to the high ground water table, trench style incinerators are not allowed, all incinerating must be done aboveground. The project site also contains trash and non-organic debris that may impact clearing and grubbing operations. The Contractor is required to only remove trash that directly impacts their operations or otherwise disturbing and leaving in place would cause further environmental impacts. Any suspected hazardous waste is not required to be handled or removed but prompt notification to the Contracting Officer is required. Construction operations must abide by noise restrictions to neighboring properties. A temporary fence with noise control barriers is required in the southeastern area of the project. The entire site primarily consists of an organic muck layer up to several feet in depth, which will make for challenging conditions at the site and may require specialized heavy equipment to transit muck areas. Protected species such as the eastern indigo snake, Florida bonneted bat, and various bird species are expected to be found on site. The contract includes requirements for qualified personnel to identify and observe such species, which may require relocation or a protected radius from construction operations. After work is completed, all disturbed areas must be seeded. A pre-bid conference/site visit will take place and the date will be posted with the solicitation. Interested contractors are highly encouraged to attend and must follow conference registration and access requirements shown in the solicitation. NAICS Code is: 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction. The Small Business Size Standard is $45 million. DFARS 236.204 - Disclosure of the Magnitude of Construction: between $10,000,000.00 and 25,000,000.00. The anticipated period of performance associated with this requirement is: 516 calendar days after receipt of the Notice to Proceed (NTP). The contractor shall commence work within 60 calendar days after receipt of the NTP. THIS IS AN SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE ACQUISITION. ALL RESPONSIBLE BIDDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE. The Invitation for Bid (IFB) will be issued on or about 24 July 2024 and bids will be due on or about 9 September 2024. Actual dates and times will be identified in the solicitation. The solicitation will be issued in electronic format only and will be posted on the Sam.gov website at https://sam.gov/. In order to receive notification of any amendments to this solicitation, interested vendors must REGISTER AS AN INTERESTED VENDOR on the Sam.gov website at https://sam.gov/. If you are not registered, the Government is not responsible with providing you with notification of any amendments to this solicitation. You must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to be eligible to receive an award from this solicitation. For additional information, please call 866-606-8220 or visit the SAM website at https://www.sam.gov/. All inquiries must be in writing via ProjNet. Instructions on how to access ProjNet will be included in the solicitation. All answers will be provided in writing via ProjNet. The only authorized transmission method for a bid in response to this solicitation is electronically via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) Solicitation Module. NO OTHER TRANSMISSION METHODS (EMAIL, FACSIMILE, REGULAR MAIL, HAND CARRIED, ETC.) WILL BE ACCEPTED. The bids must be received by the Government by the date/time specified in the solicitation. Bidders shall submit their bid via the PIEE website's Solicitation Module using the following link: https://piee.eb.mil/. Instructions on how to submit a bid can be found using the following link: https://pieetraining.eb.mil/wbt/sol/Posting_Offer.pdf. The Method of Contractor Selection has not been determined at this Time. *The value for this project is based on a financial range. The value is listed as the highest possible cost from the range provided by a stakeholder or official project document.