Over 8,000 individuals have signed a petition against a bill that proposes the possible creation of a Florida Springs National Park, with opponents citing the possibility of a disruption to native wildlife, a strain on local infrastructure, and the possible loss of “cultural identity” as a peaceful area in favor of becoming a “tourist attraction.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, approximately 8,161 individuals have signed the petition to “Protect the Ocala National Forest: Oppose H.R. 4656 and Stop Mass Tourism Development.”
The petition was created by Marion County resident Bobbie Jo Dameron on August 26. It opposes a bill that was introduced by Congressman Randy Fine in July which asks the U.S. Department of the Interior to study the feasibility of creating a Florida Springs National Park.
The proposed study area would focus on a 2,800-square-mile portion of Central and North Florida, including the Ocala National Forest, as well as dozens of conservation lands, preserves, and state parks.
In the weeks since Ocala-News.com first reported the petition, at least four other local and national media outlets have written stories about the amount of people who have signed the digital document.
Readers have shared mixed reactions to the news, with the majority in opposition to the creation of a national park, some vehemently so. Others have shared less rigid views.
“We, the undersigned, strongly oppose H.R. 4656, introduced by Representative Randy Fine, which could open the door to unsustainable tourism and commercialization in the Ocala National Forest. While we value public access to natural spaces, this bill threatens the long-term health of one of Florida’s most ecologically sensitive regions,” reads a portion of the petition.
The petition argues that the Ocala National Forest and surrounding lands are already safeguarded under existing federal and state programs, making a new feasibility study redundant.
Among the concerns outlined in the document are the potential risks to endangered species, strains on local infrastructure, and a shift away from science-based land management.
Instead of creating a new park designation, the petition urges lawmakers to invest in strengthening current conservation efforts and funding ecological restoration.
To read the full petition, visit Change.org.
To read the full text of the bill, visit the United States Congress online.
What are your thoughts on the proposed bill and the petition? Share them in a comment below or, if you have more to say on the matter, send us a letter to the editor.