Sierra Club Florida’s Questions for New FDEP Secretary

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the resignation of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Shawn Hamilton, and the appointment of Alexis Lambert as his successor. 

Florida will now have its third DEP head in less than seven years under the DeSantis Administration. This change in leadership comes after this summer’s widespread public opposition to DeSantis’ disastrous plan to pave over Florida’s state parks with golf courses and hotels, and in the midst of a threat by DeSantis to swap state forest land for low conservation-value timberland to develop a golf course. 

As reported by the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets, the DEP was tasked with posting the plans on its website and social media, and officials were slated to hold public meetings on them before they were ultimately canceled.

This announcement begs critically important questions on the DEP’s plans for Florida’s State Parks: 

  • Has Governor DeSantis put “going back to the drawing board” on the state parks development initiative on Lambert’s plate?  
  • Does Lambert oppose or support the plan to develop hotels, golf courses, sports courts/fields in the state’s wild places?  

On behalf of the thousands of Floridians who rallied to protect our beloved state parks, Sierra Club Florida respectfully requests answers to these questions.  


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