With less than 48 hours until the end of the Florida legislative session, a coalition of groups are urging lawmakers to add more funding for state parks.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — With less than 48 hours until the end of the Florida legislative session, a letter from a coalition of groups is urging lawmakers to add more funding for state parks.

The letter from 32 organizations and businesses called on the state Legislature increase funding for the budget, especially after a state report shows hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs, upgrades and improvements for Florida’s 175 state parks.

“Floridians, at large, we don’t agree on a lot of things but we do agree on state parks,” Suncoast Sierra Club Executive Committee Chair James Scott said. 

The House and Senate’s budget allocates $25 million for facility improvements. Repairs and maintenance is required for amenities like pavilions, restrooms, visitor centers, along with fences and boardwalks. The report also states plumbing, electrical and HVAC repairs are needed.

“Florida’s beloved state parks are critical infrastructure supporting the state’s tourism economy, drinking water, storm protection, wildlife, and public health, and yet the current budget proposals fail to adequately meet the urgent repair needs within our state parks,” groups wrote in the letter.”

Scott said the parks are not only a vital part of the state worth protecting, but they have been an economic driver.

In the last fiscal year, the report shows more than 28 million visitors went to state parks and generated more than $75 million in revenue. 

“Our parks aren’t just a treasured piece of Florida culture. They’re a economic driver for our state,” Scott said.

The report was required through the State Park Preservation Act, which passed after pushback against proposals to build golf courses, pickleball courts and hotels on state park land.

The House and Senate have yet to agree on the budget and are expected to miss the Friday deadline for the second year in the row. Last year, lawmakers needed another 45 days to compromise over tax cuts. 

Advocates like Scott said if the parks are overlooked, it could take decades to clear the maintenance log.

“The state of Florida needs to take this more seriously,” Scott said.Â