A coalition of 32 environmental groups and businesses is urging Florida lawmakers to significantly increase funding for state park repairs, warning that current budget proposals fall far short of what’s needed to address a growing maintenance crisis.

According to a December 2025 report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the state’s park system faces $759 million in needed repairs over the next decade, covering aging infrastructure, safety improvements, ADA accessibility upgrades, and modernization of facilities such as restrooms, trails, utilities, and visitor centers.

Both the House and Senate have proposed $25 million for state park repairs in their fiscal year 2026–27 budget bills. Gov. Ron DeSantis requested $50 million in his own budget proposal. At the $25 million pace, advocates say it would take 30 years to close the funding gap.

The coalition, in a letter to Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez, argued that more money is readily available. The groups pointed to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, which is projected to hold $824.7 million in uncommitted funds in the coming fiscal year, and called for at least $100 million to be directed toward park facility improvements, plus $20 million specifically for ADA compliance.

The DEP report was required under the 2025 State Park Preservation Act, itself a legislative response to widespread public backlash in the summer of 2024 after reports emerged that the DeSantis administration was considering building golf courses and other commercial amenities inside nine state parks.

Florida currently has 176 state parks. The most recently opened is Shoal River Headwaters State Park, a 2,480-acre site near DeFuniak Springs in Walton County, which opened in January 2026. Budget negotiations are ongoing as the legislative session continues.

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