Deer Lake State Park [update - not closing]

I wrote both Crist and Bullock. Yesterday I got a form letter back from Crist's office thanking me for my interest in the state budget. And my name was spelled wrong.
Haven't heard from Bullock.
I want to see the park stay open, obviously. But somehow, it would not surprise me to see an expensive walkway finished and the park closed the next day. :angry:
Hnooe, please keep calling. And thanks for the update.

Thanks. I just find it totally ironic that, so far, the only solid information came yesterday coming from the foreman of a company currently in the process of 'expanding' the Deer Lake Park walkover to meet ADA??? Someone's money is going into this project!

hnooe, you are thinking logically. However, gov't doesn't operate logically. Remember when the County bought those shiny, fully-loaded Ford F150s for the Code Enforcement, then parked them behind Code Enforcement Headquarters, rarely ever using more than one or two, at any given time?

BTW, that "old" metal staircase going to the beach is only four year old.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT PROPOSED PARK CLOSING

Feb 11th, 2009
By LEAH STRATMANN

At the last meeting of the Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Board (CDLAB) a member of the South Walton Community Council (SWCC) informed the group the state had slated a number of parks in northwest Florida to be temporarily closed as a means of saving money. The eight parks represent 24 percent of the parks in the northwest part of the state, the highest percentage state wide. Overall, the state plans to close 19 parks.
Jessica Kemper, information director for the Florida Park Service said in an e-mail, “The total cost savings to the Division of Recreation and Parks for the proposed closure of 19 parks and transfer of three is $1,910,920. This represents approximately 24 percent of the division’s 10 percent reduction proposal.”

Kemper said, “When compiling the list of proposed temporary closures, attendance and revenue were carefully examined. No specific region was targeted to contain a majority of the closures. These parks were chosen based on low visitation numbers and revenue compared to relatively high operating budgets. If closed, these parks will remain under the supervision of a full-time caretaker. Where feasible, the department will do everything in its power to retain displaced staff in other agency positions.”

Deer Lake State Park does not charge an entry fee, nor is there a registration book, making attendance and use of the park difficult to determine. Kemper said the budget for this park is $45,479, which includes the cost of a ranger and benefits, although park visitors say there is never a ranger present. Queried about this, Kemper said, “Deer Lake State Park is taken care of under the management of Grayton Beach State Park. Currently, one ranger is assigned to Deer Lake State Park and other staff from Grayton Beach tend to the park as necessary.”

Grayton Beach is charged more than $167,000 for salaries and benefits, plus a myriad of other expenses, for a total budget of $451,651 annually. Kemper said none of the rangers at parks due to close will lose their jobs, but would instead be given the option to transfer to other parks. Funding for seasonal workers would be eliminated or reduced.
“State parks will continue providing high quality service to the public while decreasing expenditure where possible. We fully intend to re-open the 19 parks potentially facing closure when the state’s economy improves. While this was a difficult decision, the proposal reflects our effort to reduce expenditure while protecting the greatest number of staff members,” Kemper wrote.

It was the consensus of the CDLAB to approach the county about taking over the park if it closed. Kemper said none of the parks would officially close until the measure is deliberated by the state legislature and it was therefore premature to consider options, such as takeover by the county. Members of the SWCC had suggested an honor system of park fee payments plus a registration book so that park usage could be calculated.
The legislative session begins March 3. If the legislature agrees to the closures, it will then have to be approved by the governor.

The 19 parks on the list are: Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park, Santa Rosa County; St. Marks River State Park, Leon County; Lake June-In-Winter Scrub State Park, Highlands County; Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, Nassau County; Constitution Convention Museum State Park, Gulf County; John Gorrie Museum State Park, Franklin County; Deer Lake State Park, Walton County; Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek State Park, Polk County; Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, Escambia County; Terra Ceia Preserve State Park, Manatee County; Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park, Jefferson County; Dunns Creek, Putnam County; San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park, Wakulla County; Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, Monroe County; Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, Monroe County; Dudley Farm Historic State Park, Alachua County; Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Okeechobee County; Nature and Heritage Tourism Center, Hamilton County; and Cedar Key Museum State Park in Levy County.

thanks, Kurt, for posting this. It would appear that the decision to include Deer Lake Park may have been made because there is "no usage shown" for the park...since there is no way to indicate visitors.

I think we need to keep up our letter/email writing to the Governor and members of the Legislature.

thanks to all the community groups and individuals who have gotten involved with this effort.

Be very careful what you ask for from the County Commission! If they got their hands on Deer Lake State Park you’ll get a 200 car parking lot on the Beach. The TDC under Malcolm Patterson’s watch tried this with the County Commission backing him. If not for the work of Beach to Bay Connection Malcolm and the county would have a 200 car parking lot in or on the dunes.

Also if you were here in the early 90’s you may remember the county commission wanted part of Point Washington State Forest and Grayton Beach State Park so they could turn around and sell it to developers, who were probably already lined up, for a big fat profit. I’m not making this up!

Here’s my opinion on the DEP’s situation. They are asked to cut x amount of dollars from the budget. They inflate the cost of closing parks so that they don’t have to close as many.

Once again if the County Commission manages a Beach Park it will become one giant parking lot.

One more thing, St. Joe signed a settlement agreement with the state saying they will not attempt to get anymore of the land they sold to ECJV that the state subsequently purchased. If the county gets their hands on what is now forest and park land they could certainly make a deal with St. Joe Arvida. (The settlement agreement is on file in the county records it’s a fairly long document.)

thanks for the reminder, Soappedler...I think there is a chance to change the state's mind about closing Deer Lake.

You are right, it would become a parking lot under BCC..just like the beautiful nature area donated by Mrs. Kellogg has a paved parking lot!

Walton County may take over Deer Lake State Park | state, county, lake - News - Northwest Florida Daily News
Walton County may take over Deer Lake State Park
The park is among 19 the state might close to cut costs

SANTA ROSA BEACH -Walton County commissioners have agreed to consider taking over management of Deer Lake State Park, one of 19 state parks that could be closed indefinitely to help ease the state's financial crunch.
"We do not want Deer Lake closed," said Marsha Anderson, chairwoman of the Coastal Dune Lakes Advisory Committee.
Deer Lake is one of the rare coastal dune lakes that lie along the 26-miles of coastline in the county.
Anderson has asked the county's staff to contact state officials to find out whether it is possible for the county to take over the park from the state.
Commissioner Sara Comander said the research should include finding out whether the county could lease the land, how much insurance would cost and whether county inmates can perform maintenance instead of the county contracting with an outside company.
Jessica Kemper, public information officer for the Florida Parks Service, said the Florida Board of Trustees owns the park land and leases it to the state Division of Recreation and Parks.
If the county wanted to take over management of Deer Lake the agency would have to relinquish the lease and the county must work out its own lease, Kemper said.
However, she said the recreation and parks division "does not sublease whole state parks to be managed by other entities," so the commissioners instead must get approval from the board of trustees.
Kemper said the 19 parks slated to be closed were selected based on the number of visitors compared to the cost of keeping them open.
According to state figures, 5,370 people visited Deer Lake in fiscal 2007-08. Its operating budget was $45,479.
Anita Page, director of the South Walton Community Council, estimated the lake's annual operating cost at about $5,700. However, Kemper said that figure only takes into account expenses, not staffing.
She confirmed that Deer Lake and Grayton Beach state parks are managed together because of they are close to one another, but said Deer Lake has its own full-time ranger.
State officials already have said that even if some or all of the parks are closed, no rangers will be laid off, although they may be reassigned.
Page said that if "none of the rangers are going to be laid off anyway, then we're back to $5,700."
"My question is, if it costs $5,700 to operate Deer Lake State Park, what will be the potential impact on Walton County if a gulfside state park is closed?" said Page, who added that the park offers a pristine and undeveloped setting that many other parks lack. "I think it would be much more than $5,700."

thanks for the reminder, Soappedler...I think there is a chance to change the state's mind about closing Deer Lake.

You are right, it would become a parking lot under BCC..just like the beautiful nature area donated by Mrs. Kellogg has a paved parking lot!

How could they??!! That is not an "improvement." Such a gap in understanding and implementation.

Warning - Major rant follows! .....

I don't post here very often because topics like this make fire shoot out of my ears! Oops! Don't repeat that or the Building Dept. might write a new code requiring sprinkler systems in rooms that have internet connections.

This is a perfect example of the new America that we (they) have created.

Put this into perspective and watch out for the fire!

If the yearly expense is $6000, which I'm sure will end up to be $6000 + liability insurance + $1 beyond the "deal breaking point", then -

12 highly paid government employees x $500 per year income reduction = $6000.

Downsizing of the building dept., planning and zoning, etc, etc, from lack of use = $6000+.

A mailing to 12,000 residents x $.50 = $6000.

Insurance on county vehicles which are parked a majority of the time = $6000.

And so on, and so on ...............

Get the picture?

We, as a country, are the most screwed group of people, as developed countries go. (not including communist country's, which I'm sure we would qualify for lately.) Income tax + sales tax + gas tax + cigarette tax + property tax + bed tax ++++++++........ let's not even get into small business!

Then when "times get tough" what do they do - close our parks! Thank you sir - may I have another! This is pork fat southern fried BS!!! We are being took, and there's not a damn thing we can do about it, short of pitchforks and torches. But it will never change because the almighty county government is untouchable.

This county government has become very wealthy off this real estate bubble, and now that their budget isn't fully balanced, there going to take the $6000 right out of our entertainment fund. I wonder if they worried about $6000 when they built there new government megaplex.

And by the way - if this is just a recession and things will start getting better in a couple of years, like Mr. Obama and his head in the cloud's followers like to think, then $6000 x 3 years = $18,000.

Then can we have our park back, huh, please mr. government sir, please.

Nope - done deal - too late - more land chopped up.





(Hey - I said it was a rant - if you don't like then wipe it out of your mind).

Gotta go....my file cabinet's on fire!

Nice rant. It's the state budget we are talking about here, though. But your points are still valid, the specifics are just off a tad.

Nice rant. It's the state budget we are talking about here, though. But your points are still valid, the specifics are just off a tad.

Oops. Sorry!

Fire's out, by the way.

Although, I gotta wonder...out of all the parks in Florida, seems strange that Deer Lake got on the list. I'm sure it has nothing to do with it's beach front/large parcel/undiscovered market attributes.

And yes, I think we're still undiscovered...doesn't mean that we can jack up our home prices though.

and I am still waiting to find out how they determined that the park is under used, since there is absolutely no way to count people who are going there!

and I am still waiting to find out how they determined that the park is under used,

Me too. Ever since this thread went up, I have been noticing the entrance when I drive by. And virtually every time I am passing by, there is a car either coming out or turning in. For an under used park, :roll: that sure is a lot of traffic.

Deer Lake meeting March 18, 5p.m. at Publix SWFD


Volunteer program at Deer Lake State Park to be discussed

A meeting to discuss starting a volunteer program at Deer Lake State Park will be held March 18, 5-5:45 p.m., at the South Walton Fire Department Community Room (near Publix on Hwy. 395).

Deer Lake State Park, a 1,920-acre facility on Hwy. 30A in Walton County, shares its name with the coastal dune lake within its boundaries. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide, and in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast.

The park's long dune boardwalk offers some of the best views of a dynamic dune ecosystem to be found on the Gulf Coast. The park has full beach access. Currently under construction is a ramp to the beach for use by handicapped people. The park, which is for day use only, also has beautiful forest trails to the north of 30A. Camping is not available.

The state has announced a possible indefinite closure of Deer Lake State Park. This announcement (including the possible closure of 18 other state parks) comes after Gov. Charlie Crist directed all state agencies to cut 10 percent from their proposed 2009-10 budgets, said Jessica Kemper, public information officer for the Florida Parks Service.

Forestry Department representatives will be at the meeting to discuss how volunteers can support the current and future needs at Deer Lake State Park.

For additional information,
please contact Beverly Kraska at 850-231-3305 or bkraska@gmail. com

Deer Lake State Park Not Closing

State parks slated for closure saved from the chopping block


Locals and visitors to the South Walton area will continue to be able to enjoy popular Deer Lake State Park. The Department of Environmental issued a statement on March 6 announcing the good news.

Here is the official statement from DEP:
“We are also grateful for the Governor’s recommendation that all 160 of Florida’s award-winning state parks remain open to the public and under the management of DEP’s Division of Recreation and Parks. Challenging economic times have forced us to consider all options for reducing expenditure without compromising Florida’s natural resources and recreational opportunities. Thanks to the Governor’s support, Florida’s environment will continue to be preserved, protected and interpreted for Florida’s residents and visitors.”
Amy Graham
Public Information Officer
Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.waltonoutdoors.com/?p=4035

YIPPPEEEE!!!!!!

hooray! THANKS FOR POSTING.

Wow, that's terrific!!

Here is the official statement from DEP:

“We are also grateful for the Governor’s recommendation that all 160 of Florida’s award-winning state parks remain open to the public and under the management of DEP’s Division of Recreation and Parks. Challenging economic times have forced us to consider all options for reducing expenditure without compromising Florida’s natural resources and recreational opportunities. Thanks to the Governor’s support, Florida’s environment will continue to be preserved, protected and interpreted for Florida’s residents and visitors.”

Looks like it wasn't too hard for Crist to find other ways to cut back ...

Facing criticism, Lt. Gov. Kottkamp opts for car to Pensacola - St. Petersburg Times

Deer Lake Park

Wow, that's terrific!!

Here is the official statement from DEP:

?We are also grateful for the Governor?s recommendation that all 160 of Florida?s award-winning state parks remain open to the public and under the management of DEP?s Division of Recreation and Parks. Challenging economic times have forced us to consider all options for reducing expenditure without compromising Florida?s natural resources and recreational opportunities. Thanks to the Governor?s support, Florida?s environment will continue to be preserved, protected and interpreted for Florida?s residents and visitors.?

Looks like it wasn't too hard for Crist to find other ways to cut back ...

Facing criticism, Lt. Gov. Kottkamp opts for car to Pensacola - St. Petersburg Times

Yes !!!!!!!! One of my favorite ...........

Wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who called and wrote their local and state representatives! Also, thanks to Walton Outdoors for sharing the great news.

Wow, that's great news.

We're so happy! We love that park!