Grayton Beach State Park Invasion By TDC

[soappedaler]

Help Save Grayton Beach State Park!
The Walton County Tourist Development Council is urging The Florida Division of Recreation and Parks to develop the 100-acre natural area on the eastern side of Little Redfish Lake, this is referred to as the Western Unit of Grayton Beach State Park and is where the cabins are located. Public Meeting | Florida State Parks

The proposed amendment to the current plan would put a 24-car parking lot in the middle of the coastal scrub and a boat launch on Little Redfish Lake.

Why is this such a bad idea? Our State Parks are the only places where any natural landscapes will survive in South Walton. Every inch of private land will be developed. We should not allow development of our conservation lands due to lack of planning by Walton County.

Walton County is under pressure to pave over as much of the coastline as possible to allow for more and more beach Parking. I have been an advocate for more public beach access, however it should not happen at the expense of our rare and fragile ecosystems that will only survive in our conservation lands.

The Western Unit of Grayton Beach State Park :

• One of the largest contiguous coastal scrub community in South Walton.
• contains several depression marshes which are important breeding grounds for amphibians, and marsh and wading birds.
• the shore of the smallest of the globally imperiled Coastal Dune Lake, Little Redfish Lake cannot support a dock and kayak use.
• bald eagles are nesting in this 100 acre woods.

Grayton Beach State Park already has a large recreation area in the eastern section with a ranger station for monitoring entrance into the park. In 2013 the Grayton Beach State Park Management plan was approved. This current plan has improvements to the park that will provide enhanced recreation opportunities but not have negative impacts to the ecosystems. Some of these are:

• New shared use trail with parking on the north side of 30A
• primitive campsites north of 30A-Floating dock near existing boat ramp in Western Lake.
• Improve existing Beach parking lot.

The public must demand that the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks manage our state parks to ensure the survival of plant and animals species and the conservation of finite and renewable resources.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP SAVE GRAYTON BEACH STATE PARK!
Attend the public hearing
DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (CT). Presentation at 5:30 p.m.
PLACE: Northwest Florida State College, South Walton Center, Room 120,109 Greenway Trail (Off Highway 331 South), Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459.

Email the Florida Department of Environmental Protection FLStateParkPlanning@dep.state.fl.us
You can copy and paste the following or write your own comment. Put your name after the comment.
Subject: Deny the Proposed Amendment to Grayton Beach State Park Management Plan
Dear Grayton Beach State Park Planner,
I object to the proposed amendment to the Grayton Beach State Park Management Plan.
Please implement the recommendations for recreation that are in the current approved 2013 park plan. Thank you for your support

 

[Abby Prentiss]

Dear Walton County,

Please leave state parks and lands alone. Thank you.

 

[steel1man]

This so typical of TDC. To H** with people's desires and full speed ahead with,
"Paving Paradise and putting up parking lots". Also creating more beach vendors jobs. Pretty sure BCC elected members prefer more And more beach vendors

 

[30A Skunkape]

 

[Jim Tucker]

I think the state needs some of the county land. Parcel 1 is at corner of 331 and 98.

 

[John G]

TDC already took over Tops'l Preserve, brand new "PUBLIC PARKING" sign on the side of 30a, as of today.

What's so sad is that none of the money that the TDC pays for this parking, goes directly back to Tops'l, it goes to General Fund for the State...

Maybe we can save Grayton this time.

 

[Myra]

It looks to me it's a FDEP project. Can we read. I see that this meeting isn't the TDC. I also see that every other State Park in the area has to do the same management plan. So does the TDC just want to take over Grayton? Why not the rest? FAKE NEWS.

 

[SoWal Staff]

Public Notices, Outreach & Education | Depnet

Grayton Beach State Park Public Meeting

Location:
Northwest Florida State College

Event Details:
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, announces a public meeting to which all persons are invited.

DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (CT). Presentation at 5:30 p.m.

PLACE: Northwest Florida State College, South Walton Center, Room 120, 109 Greenway Trail (Off Highway 331 South), Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459.

GENERAL SUBJECT MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED: Presentation of the proposed unit management plan amendment for Grayton Beach State Park.

A COPY OF THE AGENDA MAY BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING: Matthew Allen, Park Manager, Grayton Beach State Park, 357 Main Park Road, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459, PH# (850) 267-8300, FAX# (850) 267-8306 or email Matthew.Allen@dep.state.fl.us.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 48 hours before the meeting by contacting: Matthew Allen as listed above.

If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

Attached Document:
Grayton Beach State Park PM Notice.pdf

Grayton Beach State Park PM Notice.pdf
,
Grayton Beach State Park PM Agenda.pdf

Grayton Beach State Park PM Agenda.pdf
,
Grayton Beach State Park Draft UMP Amendment.pdf

Grayton Beach State Park Draft UMP Amendment.pdf
,
Grayton Beach State Park Comment Form.pdf

Grayton Beach State Park Comment Form.pdf
,
Grayton Beach State Park Flyer.pdf

Grayton Beach State Park Flyer.pdf

Notice Date:
Jun 13 2017 -
5:00pm to 7:00pm

 

[FactorFiction]

TDC already took over Tops'l Preserve, brand new "PUBLIC PARKING" sign on the side of 30a, as of today.

What's so sad is that none of the money that the TDC pays for this parking, goes directly back to Tops'l, it goes to General Fund for the State...

Maybe we can save Grayton this time.

This is just summer parking. Unfortunate if Topsail doesn't get an appropriate portion of the money, but why do you object to this arrangement with the parks to allow parking in a mostly unused parking lot that exists already?

 

[John G]

This is just summer parking. Unfortunate if Topsail doesn't get an appropriate portion of the money, but why do you object to this arrangement with the parks to allow parking in a mostly unused parking lot that exists already?

Simply just that. The $$$ doesn't go directly back to Topsail Park. TDC funds go into the general fund and even park employees there don't like that...