THE BILL ITSELF

HR 8013

Florida State Parks Day

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

1 House Resolution

2 A resolution designating February 4, 2026, as "Florida

3 State Parks Day" in Florida.

5 WHEREAS, Florida's state park system manages and protects

6 176 parks, trails, and historic sites that span over 818,000

7 acres, including 100 miles of white sand beaches, and

8 WHEREAS, Florida's state parks generated an estimated $3.6

9 billion in economic impact and $234 million in sales tax revenue

10 while attracting more than 28 million visitors and supporting

11 49,910 jobs in fiscal year 2024-2025, and

12 WHEREAS, Florida's state park system is the only four-time

13 winner of the National Recreation and Park Association's Gold

14 Medal for Excellence in the Field of Parks and Recreation

15 Management, and was one of three finalists for the gold medal in

16 2025, and

17 WHEREAS, Florida's state parks are known for outdoor

18 recreation, including hiking, camping, swimming, paddling,

19 fishing, horseback riding, and many other activities, and

20 WHEREAS, Florida's state parks inspire thousands of

21 volunteers, as well as multiple dedicated, statewide citizen

22 support organizations such as the statewide Florida State Parks

23 Foundation, and

24 WHEREAS, beloved native wildlife, including Florida

25 panthers, manatees, sea turtles, black bears, alligators, and

26 many species of birds, find critical habitat in lands and waters

27 managed by Florida's state park system, and

28 WHEREAS, seventy-five of Florida's 176 state parks lie

29 within the footprint of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, with many

30 more located nearby, and

31 WHEREAS, the year 2025 marked 25 years of Florida Forever,

32 the landmark conservation program that has protected more than 1

33 million acres of lands across this state for the benefit of

34 people and nature, and

35 WHEREAS, Florida Forever has helped to acquire or expand

36 dozens of Florida's state parks to increase opportunities for

37 outdoor recreation and preserve crucial habitat, NOW, THEREFORE,

39 Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

40 Florida:

42 That February 4, 2026, is designated as "Florida State

43 Parks Day" in Florida.