Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration announced plans to build golf courses and other commercial developments at state parks last year via a Post-it note.
In response, James Gaddis, a former Department of Environmental Protection employee, filed a lawsuit against the department. Gaddis alleged that the department retaliated against him for publicly sharing details of the initiative.
As WFLX Fox 29 reported, the lawsuit was filed earlier this past November in Leon County. New court documents revealed more details about the plans, which sparked significant public and bipartisan backlash. They were ultimately abandoned when DeSantis signed new legislation that specifically prohibits such developments, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
In the lawsuit, Gaddis discussed a Microsoft Teams meeting with Bureau Chief Daniel Alsentzer and other department members. Gaddis claimed that Alsentzer revealed a Post-it note containing information about plans to build golf courses, pickleball courts, and hotels in nine state parks.
The governor's office ordered them to keep the plans confidential, even from coworkers, but the "Plaintiff reasonably believed this directive violated Florida's Sunshine Law public records requirements and environmental protection mandates governing state parks," per the court documents, as relayed by WFLX.
Gaddis, who was a mapmaker at his former job, said the plans would "destroy globally imperiled habitats such as Atlantic Ridge scrub at [Jonathan] Dickinson State Park and maritime hammock forest at Anastasia State Park," as WFLX noted.
The lawsuit stated that the director of the Department of Environmental Protection heard from field staff about the leaked proposal. This happened after a biologist at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park informed leadership in August last year.
According to WFLX, Gaddis initially sought legal advice in September. He said he blew the whistle on the plans because he didn't feel right about drawing up the maps in secret. He explained that his supervisors, who were under the orders of the governor's office, told him to draw different maps for planned developments like a golf course or hotel.
"It got to the point where we were operating in total secrecy this whole time. I got tired of that," Gaddis told the news outlet. "We were totally blindsided by this. It came out of nowhere."
"As I was making maps, you know, obviously I was disgusted," he added.
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Definitely 👍 As a single dad working a weekend side job, Gaddis decided to set up a GoFundMe until he finds his next career move. The campaign has raised over $259,000.
While the plans were ultimately canceled, the attempted intervention by state employees showed the importance of protecting our natural world and the animals that call it home.
It also benefits humans. Building golf courses and hotels at state parks, which the public called "paving over paradise," according to the Tallahassee Democrat, would take away valuable recreational opportunities.
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