TAMPA (2011-6-29) -
Honeymoon Island has been the most-visited state park in Florida for several years. A proposal to be aired at a public hearing next week would make it even more accessible - to campers. But some Pinellas County residents aren't so open to the idea.Terri Weeks contends Honeymoon Island is one of Pinellas' few remaining unspoiled beaches. She chairs the Coastal Task Force of the Suncoast Sierra Club., and says many people are concerned about the large footprint that would be used for RV camping.
"My understanding is it's going to disturb some gopher tortoise habitat - which is always very troubling," she says, "and we just don't think that intensive, more high-tech kind of use is really in keeping with the natural area that is the gem of Pinellas County, really."
Another big issue is Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to let private companies build and run the campground. That would be a sharp departure from previous state policy.
The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Hale Senior Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave., in Dunedin.
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