The Brief
Environmental advocates warn a planned beachside country music festival could threaten sea turtles and seabirds during nesting season.
Protesters gathered in St. Pete Beach as key permits for the event remained incomplete just weeks before kickoff.
Organizers say they can host the event safely, but agencies and city officials have not publicly responded.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A new beachside music festival is drawing growing scrutiny in St. Pete Beach, where environmental advocates say it could put protected wildlife at risk, and may not yet have the approvals needed to move forward.
What we know
The inaugural Country Thunder Music Festival is scheduled for May 8–10 at the TradeWinds resort on St. Pete Beach. The event is expected to draw large crowds and feature major country artists.
Concerns are mounting from environmental groups and nearby residents who say the timing overlaps with the start of sea turtle and seabird nesting season.
On Saturday, the Coastal Wildlife Advocacy Group and St. Petersburg Audubon Society hosted a peaceful protest outside the resort. Some advocates suggest alternative locations, such as Tropicana Field or Vinoy Park, could better accommodate large events without impacting sensitive coastal habitats.
What we don’t know
It’s still unclear whether the festival will receive all required permits in time.
Applications with the city, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) are described as incomplete, just weeks before event setup is expected to begin.
Officials from those agencies and event organizers have not publicly responded to requests for comment.
What they’re saying
Environmental advocates say lighting, noise, and large crowds could disrupt nesting wildlife.
Lisa Reich, founder of the Coastal Wildlife Advocacy Group, said lighting has long been a concern on the beach and fears the festival could make conditions worse during a critical time.
Sea turtle supporters also point to the already low survival rates of hatchlings, warning additional disruptions could further threaten the species.
“There’s ordinances to protect against this sort of thing. If they’re ignored or no enforcement is done, then the sea turtles will disappear from this beach,” said sea turtle tracker, Maria Erickson.
Eugene Kelli drove from Brooksville to participate.
“I just couldn’t conceive that they’d be able to get a permit to have an event of this scale at this location,” he said.
The other side
Festival organizers and resort management say they are taking steps to minimize impacts.
Resort Manager Travis Johnson said turtle trackers will be on-site conducting checks twice daily and expressed confidence the event can be held safely and responsibly.
He said future events would be scheduled outside nesting season.
Why you should care
St. Pete Beach is home to protected species like sea turtles and the black skimmer, a threatened seabird in Florida.
Advocates warn disruptions during nesting season could have lasting impacts on local wildlife populations.
What’s next
A spokesperson from FWC responded to FOX 13 after the story aired and said in part, “The FWC provides comments for DEP permits regarding imperiled species, including marine turtles and imperiled beach-nesting birds. FWC staff are in the process of reviewing this project for species impacts and are providing technical assistance to avoid and minimize impacts to listed wildlife. “
The spokesperson added, “FWC shorebird and permitting staff are providing technical assistance to representatives at Tradewinds and received an application for an FWC-issued permit related to this event on Monday, March 30th. Staff are currently reviewing the application. Additional information about the Guidelines can be found at: MyFWC.com/IBNB.
The Source
This story is based on on-scene reporting, interviews with environmental advocates, protesters, and resort management, as well as outreach to city officials, FWC, FDEP, and event organizers. Responses from those agencies were not received at the time of publication.