Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Division of Recreation & Parks

Southwest Districts

The Office of Park Planning has developed an innovative approach to land planning for Florida State Parks – covering all units within a district through a consolidated process. The first districtwide plan was developed for the Northeast District and was approved by the Acquisition & Restoration Council (ARC) in June of 2024. 
 
The drafting and communicating phases of the planning process for all units of the Southwest District are now in progress. 
 
The Charlotte Harbor Region and Terra Ceia State Park draft unit management plans (UMPs) will be on the ARC agenda for the December 2026 meeting. 
 
The Big Cypress Region draft UMPs are expected to be on the ARC agenda for the February 2027 meeting. 
 
ARC will take public comments on the above plans until BLANK timeframe. To learn more about ARC and access the ARC schedule, click here. If in-person attendees wish to submit the required speaker form in advance, they may download the form and return it to ARC_mailinglist@FloridaDEP.gov at least 24 hours before a meeting.
 
To review management plans that have been finalized, click here or call 850-245-3051.
 
Draft UMPs are listed below, in order of District, regions, and unit. 
 

DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLANS

 

STATEWIDE PHILOSOPHY AND FRAMEWORK

 

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT OVERVIEW

 

BIG CYPRESS REGION OVERVIEW

 

CENTRAL GULF REGION

 

CHARLOTTE HARBOR REGION OVERVIEW

 

DISTRICTWIDE APPENDICES