Fort De Soto Park // Credit: Pinellas County Flickr
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A TV series based on the book ‘A Land Remembered’ will no longer film at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County.
The decision comes after the plans faced an outcry from environmental advocates.
According to Axios, producers say they will no longer pursue a permit to film at the park.
Beth Forys is the President of St. Petersburg Audubon and a professor at Eckerd College.
“When I actually saw the plans, I got very worried. One of the areas, it looked to me like they were going to have to drive numerous vehicles kind of through the dunes and maybe on a bicycle path.” Forys told WMNF.
She says she’s relieved.
“I, of course, loved the book A Land Remembered, as do members of St. Petersburg Audubon and others who work in the environmental community, but Fort De Soto is such a precious environment. It’s one of our last barrier islands that isn’t completely developed. So it’s really important to keep it as natural as possible.” Forys said.
In a Facebook post, St. Petersburg Audubon expressed concern about filming on fragile dunes and beaches, beach driving, and the use of cattle, pigs, and horses in the sensitive lands.
The organization says that the filming would have potentially impacted plovers, oystercatchers, gopher tortoises, sea turtles, and dune plants
A representative for ‘A Land Remembered’ did not respond by WMNF’s deadline.