Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection is considering allowing hunting as an activity in every state park, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The news comes from a two-page “Potential Park Activities/Facilities” checklist that park planners use to review park management plans and see what can be allowed in the park system, the Times says. Before, the list used to include “boat ramps, kayak launch sites, concession stands and dog parks.” Three months ago, DEP officials added hunting, timber harvesting and cattle grazing to the checklist. 



According to the Times:

“Initially the "hunting" category was only for the larger parks, according to former Department of Environmental Protection park planner Enid Ehrbar. But three weeks ago, she said, the planners were told to apply it to each of the state's 161 parks. 

That means it would include not just Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa, but also beachfront and bayfront parks like Honeymoon Island State Park near Dunedin and Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park near Ruskin. Even the Ybor City Museum State Park would have to face the question of whether hunters could find something to shoot there.”

It's not like we didn't see this coming. Back in August, we wrote about the controversial appointment of DEP Secretary Jon Steverson, who said he wants to make the park system pay for itself by opening certain state parks to cattle grazing, timber harvesting and hunting.