Jacob Ogles
A Florida parks planner says he was fired after plans for more active uses in state parks made headlines.
James Gaddis set up a GoFundMe page claiming he was terminated by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Park Planning. He lost his job, he said, after leaking a “secret, fast-tracked plan to build golf courses, 350-room hotels, disc golf courts, and pickleball courts within critical habitats across 9 of our Florida State Parks.”
“These atrocious proposals, which were not going to be released until the day before the scheduled public meetings, have been suspended for now, and we are all feeling great about that,” Gaddis wrote.
“As a state employee and single dad working a weekend side-job, I knew that sounding the alarm was a risky move. However, I saw myself as a public servant first and felt that it was the only ethical thing to do.”
Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed “half-baked” plans were “leaked out to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative.”
Recommendations for development at nine state parks were announced on Aug. 19 in a DEP press release about the Great Outdoors Initiative. The agency initially planned to hold simultaneous public workshops on Aug. 27 to discuss plans with the public, but public outcry prompted the agency to postpone those meetings and accept recommendations on larger venues.
But amid bipartisan outcry from Cabinet members, state lawmakers and congressional representatives, DeSantis announced last week DEP would go back to the drawing board on any projects and abandon efforts for now.
The Tampa Bay Times’ Politifact reported the newspaper had received leaked plans before the DEP press release went out, but also graded DeSantis’ assessment as “mostly false” as the proposals were in fact ready to unroll within days. The newspaper’s coverage of the proposals came out after the agency publicly released plans.
Gaddis’ GoFundMe page suggests that was not the plan, and that DEP intended to sit on the proposals until immediately before the originally planned workshops.
“I have been with the Office of Park Planning for over two years, serving with dedication while building my skills as a cartographer and specializing in maps of Florida’s mosaic of conservation lands, especially Florida State Parks,” he wrote.
“After the best two years of my professional career, where I built great relationships with Florida Park Service staff all over the state and enjoyed mapping out a significant swath of our amazing park system, I was directed to create nine maps depicting shocking and destructive infrastructure proposals, while keeping quiet as they were pushed through an accelerated and under-the-radar public engagement process.”
He signaled he may now bring his skills to a “more conservation-minded organization.”
12 comments
KathrynA
September 3, 2024 at 12:04 pm
Proud of someone willing to risk his job for revealing truth.
American Patriot
September 3, 2024 at 12:30 pm
This is an appalling example of why the sitting Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis finished an embarrassing 3rd place in his home State of Florida behind not only Trump but also Nickki Haley. You Governor DeSantis have a history of going after honest Florida citizens and public employees that do what’s right for Florida and America by speaking up against public corruption and unbridled graft. Governor, you have surrounded yourself with a ruthless band of thugs that have broken and twisted every legal and ethical standard in Florida to enrich your mafia of political goons and corporate friends so that they can fund your future political ambitions. Enough is enough Governor. As a Republican who supported you when you first ran for office as an outsider with talk of fixing a broken State bureaucratic system, we all fell for your hollow promises. You have been unmasked for who you and your mafia are. The voters of Florida will not support you for any future office. Go get a real job and stop your legacy of terror and destruction. Take your band of thugs including your corrupt Lt. Governor and Secretary of Education with you. Sadly, the seeds of filth and corruption you have planted and the stench you have left behind will be difficult to clean-up. Your legacy as the most corrupt Administration in Florida is at stake. Governor, you have two years in office to clean Florida and convince Floridians that all sinners are worthy of reform and Salvation. One start is giving this man his job back, and then fire everyone from top to bottom involved with this insane idea to take PUBLIC park lands and turn them into profitable enterprises for Republican donors.
Cheesy Floridian
September 3, 2024 at 3:02 pm
!!!!
This is Us
September 4, 2024 at 11:07 am
Thank you for articulating so well how I feel. As a democrat, I voted for DeSantis in his first term because I believed that he could be the change that was needed. And, how disappointed I am now.
Kirk Covert
September 3, 2024 at 2:17 pm
I’ve contacted my local Florida congressman saying I wanted whoever fired him also fired and the DEP cleaned out. Perfect opportunity to make an example for any other corrupt state employees.
Cheesy Floridian
September 3, 2024 at 3:01 pm
The best way for us voters to go about this is to vote out these people. Republicans run the state not the democrats. We cannot keep voting the same people into office they won’t listen to us.
My Take
September 3, 2024 at 3:07 pm
A prediction was made here many months ago that DeSlantis”s plan for New College will include selling its irreplaceable waterfront property to developers.
My Take
September 3, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Public lands, ever the target of the rich.
DeSlantis, ever the fetch-it boy for the rich.
But target wildlife management areas and see what response you get from the better connected.
My Take
September 3, 2024 at 3:17 pm
Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed “half-baked” plans were “leaked out to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative.”
====================
Slugs would pour salt on DeSlantis.
Catt Cantu
September 3, 2024 at 4:30 pm
And NOW the EEOC gets a turn! Make Florida pay through the nose for unlawful dismissal!!
It's Complicated
September 3, 2024 at 5:10 pm
If you work for a state agency that has a strict policy about speaking with the press, or requires information to go through a public information office by way of a records request (which is most state agencies on both counts at the moment), be smart. Utilize a third party to direct the press/advocate to precisely what they should ask for in a public records request. Don’t leave a paper trail, use a personal phone, etc.
rick whitaker
September 3, 2024 at 7:23 pm
IT’S COMPLICATED, he was willing to be fired and had courage to whistleblow sounds like a hero to me. trump called on wikileaks to furnish him hacked calls and emails . where was his records request?
Comments are closed.