Current:Home > FinanceFlorida environmental protection head quits 2 months after backlash of plan to develop state parks-LoTradeCoin
Florida environmental protection head quits 2 months after backlash of plan to develop state parks
View Date:2024-12-23 16:53:31
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The head of Florida’s environmental protection agency is stepping down two months after a controversial proposal to develop golf courses, pickleball courts and hotels at state parks was abandoned after sparking rare bipartisan opposition.
Shawn Hamilton is being replaced as secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by Alexis Lambert, chief of staff of the state’s bond finance division, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office announced in a news release Thursday.
Hamilton said in an email to state employees obtained by the Tampa Bay Times that he was leaving to “transition to the private sector” after more than three years leading the Florida DEP.
The department unveiled the plans for the “Great Outdoors Initiative” in August and had planned a single hour of public hearings near the nine affected parks. Opposition to the initiative transcended party lines, as top Republican legislative leaders and members of Congress, including U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, raised questions, along with Democrats and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the Cleo Institute.
DeSantis eventually announced that plans for the parks were going back to the drawing board.
veryGood! (397)
Related
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
- See How Days of Our Lives Honored Deidre Hall During Her 5,000th Episode
- Rihanna's Latest Pregnancy Photos Proves She's a Total Savage
- World’s Emissions Gap Is Growing, with No Sign of Peaking Soon, UN Warns
- When does 'Dune: Prophecy' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch prequel series
- Solar Energy Surging in Italy, Outpacing U.S.
- Don’t Miss These Major Madewell Deals: $98 Jeans for $17, $45 Top for $7, $98 Skirt for $17, and More
- How Dolly Parton Honored Naomi Judd and Loretta Lynn at ACM Awards 2023
- NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
- Editors' picks: Our best global photos of 2022 range from heart-rending to hopeful
Ranking
- Arkansas governor unveils $102 million plan to update state employee pay plan
- China lends billions to poor countries. Is that a burden ... or a blessing?
- A Record Number of Scientists Are Running for Congress, and They Get Climate Change
- Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's Baby Boy's Name Revealed
- Horoscopes Today, November 13, 2024
- Scientists Call for End to Coal Leasing on Public Lands
- UN watchdog says landmines are placed around Ukrainian nuke plant occupied by Russia
- People addicted to opioids rarely get life-saving medications. That may change.
Recommendation
-
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responds to CeeDee Lamb's excuse about curtains at AT&T Stadium
-
Factory workers across the U.S. say they were exposed to asbestos on the job
-
Why Gratitude Is a Key Ingredient in Rachael Ray's Recipe for Rebuilding Her Homes
-
Texas inmate Trent Thompson climbs over fence to escape jail, captured about 250 miles away
-
Katharine Hayhoe’s Post-Election Advice: Fight Fear, Embrace Hope and Work Together
-
How Dolly Parton Honored Naomi Judd and Loretta Lynn at ACM Awards 2023
-
Amy Klobuchar on Climate Change: Where the Candidate Stands
-
In the hunt for a male contraceptive, scientists look to stop sperm in their tracks