The preserve covers a 769-acre area of undeveloped forest.
Courtesy of WUSF
By Molly Ryan
For local environmental activists, the fight to keep developers off the University of South Florida Forest Preserve (USFFP) came to a triumphant close last Tuesday.
After nearly 10 months of speculation, the Office of the President issued a university-wide announcement that the Request for Information (RFI), which aspired to develop the 769-acre forest preserve and golf course, was not being pursued.
According to a Tampa Bay Times article from last May, some ideas for the USFFP and the golf course included hotels, restaurants, research hubs and a football stadium.
“We will not be pursuing any of the responses to the original [RFI] posted in April 2021, and we have ended the RFI process,” said USF Interim President Rhea Law, a former environmental and land use attorney, in the announcement. “We will continue to provide you with updates as we decide our path forward.”
When former USF President Steve Currall’s administration first announced the RFI, it prompted the “Save USF Forest Preserve” movement, an accompanying change.org petition, protests, a documentary entitled “Choke Point” and a nonprofit — Friends of University Natural Areas — in reaction to developing the land, home to at-risk habitats and sacred Indigenous burial grounds.
Garnering 23,531 signatures, the petition was started by 2020 USF Tampa environmental policy graduate, Ryan Hurley.
On Feb. 10, Hurley posted an announcement that the collective efforts against developing the USFFP were successful.
“I’d like to thank President Law for her careful considering of this issue,” Hurley said on the petition’s announcement board. “Although the fight to secure more permanent legal protection will continue, this is a big win for conservation in the Tampa Bay community and the state of Florida. With that being said, this petition has served its purpose in highlighting the inherent value of the preserve and convincing USF leadership to end any plans for development.”
For USF St. Petersburg senior marine biology major Bailey Morgan, this victory sets precedent for future fights of a similar nature.
“As a biology major at USF, hearing about how our efforts to protect the USF forest preserve were a success warms my heart and stokes a fire under me to continue fighting for preservation of diverse habitats much like the USF forest preserve,” Morgan said. “Not only was protesting for the preservation of the preserve a fulfilling experience, but also gathering with like-minded individuals who cared about the environment just as much as I did gave me solace during the fight for the forest preserve.”
According to Morgan, the preservation of the USFFP “provides invaluable experience for ecology, biology and sustainability studies majors.”
“The loss of this habitat would have proven to be insurmountably devastating not only to the biodiversity of the region, but also devastating in cultural and community aspects as well,” Morgan said. “Not only does the location provide important biological importance, but also long-standing cultural importance for the Indigenous peoples who inhabited these lands long before the college existed.
“There are nine Native American historical sites that would have been lost, but thankfully these sites will continue to be preserved thanks to the efforts of USF students, alumni and staff,” Morgan said.
Despite the victory, Morgan believes it will take more than complacency to keep threats away from wildlife and ecosystems across all three campuses.
“Moving forward, environmental activism must continue to be a staple of the USF community,” Morgan said. “As a college who prides themselves on sustainability, students, faculty and alumni should set the standard for the coming generations and communities surrounding our college for keeping a sustainable and healthy campus for all.”
