The Florida Department of Environmental Protection fired a whistleblower who leaked Governor Ron DeSantis’s state park plan to build over acres of protected land. The proposed plan advocated for the development of a 350-room lodge, various golf courses, and pickleball courts across protected state park lands. Following immense backlash, DeSantis sent these park modifications back to the drawing board.
James Gaddis worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer before he was discharged for “conduct unbecoming a public employee,” according to the termination letter he received. 41 year-old single father Gaddis was fired on August 30th for revealing “The Great Outdoors Initiative to Increase Public Access” to the public. He was directed to draw up maps for the building proposals at nine state parks from Miami to the Panhandle. He began illustrating these plans until he was unable to continue them. “I said, ‘What I am mapping out here is too bad and too egregious and I can’t take this anymore,’” recounted Gaddis. He wrote up a summary of the plans and shared them with the public. “It was the absolute flagrant disregard for the critical, globally imperiled habitat in these parks,” stated Gaddis in an interview.
Gaddis claims the directive was coming straight from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. At a Polk County event last month, DeSantis claimed to have told the Department of Environmental Protection to rework the proposal, after it generated extensive bipartisan pushback. “They’re not going to do anything this year,” DeSantis declared, referring to the DEP. “They’re going to go back and basically listen to folks.”
This plan has evoked outrage across the political spectrum. Gaddis is revered as a hero by opponents of the proposed development. A GoFundMe page created by Gaddis has already raised over $100,000, doubling his previous salary.
