Max Chesnes

Florida’s waters are changing. But for these stone crabbers, the work goes on A tight-knit Tampa Bay crabbing community is facing environmental and economic challenges, but the payoff can be as sweet as the meat they harvest.

#Florida’s waters are changing. But for these stone crabbers, the work goes on www.tampabay.com/news/environ... via @maxchesnes.bsky.social

Left: the newly proposed area that could be opened up to offshore oil drilling

Right: the known habitat of the critically endangered Rice’s whale, with fewer than 100 estimated left in the wild

Deepwater Horizon declined the species population by an estimated 22%

Trump administration proposes pushing offshore oil drilling closer to Florida shores The plan ignited immediate pushback from Florida politicians and the coastal communities they represent.

The Trump administration wants to open up the eastern Gulf to oil drilling, pushing closer to Florida shores.

The pushback is swift, with Gov. DeSantis urging the feds to reconsider
thttps://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2025/11/20/oil-drilling-florida-gulf/

After ‘alarming’ Guana land swap idea, Florida lawmaker files bill for more transparency The measure would give the public more advanced notice when conservation land is being proposed for a sale or swap.

Earlier this summer, Floridians felt blindsided by a rushed proposal to trade away 600 acres of pristine wilderness preserve in St. Johns

Now, a Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill for more transparency around possible sales of conservation lands
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

Many thanks to the journalism of @maxchesnes.bsky.social and the Tampa Bay Times.

I dug a bit into Cabot’s dealings with the Florida gov over state parkland last year. What I read should be a warning to Nova Scotians. In short, secrecy, money and contempt for the public. The post was to inform my local community on fb, but here it is with links: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/37x8c...

‘A sham’: Florida’s longtime conservation experts question pricey 4-acre Destin purchase When Florida is in urgent need of more conservation land, why were four waterfront acres made the top priority?

NEW: I’ve interviewed more than a dozen longtime Florida conservation experts, including former regulators who combined have worked under 5 governors

All shared concerns with me about the state’s recent purchase of a 4-acre property for $83 million. More:
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

Jane Goodall had a message for Floridians: Work together for nature The Tampa Bay Times sat down with Dr. Jane Goodall in 2023 and 2024. Her message was always centered on hope.

Dr. Jane Goodall was not just a force of nature. She was a fearless and unrelenting champion of it.

I had the honor of interviewing Jane in 2023 and 2024. Our conversations were optimistic and future-focused.

They always centered on one thing: hope.
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

DeSantis, top Florida officials vote to buy 4 acres for $83M, despite concerns But one member of the Cabinet objected to the purchase.

NEW: Despite concerns from conservationists and Republican officials, FL leaders just voted to approve a fast-tracked deal to pay a campaign donor $83 million for his companies’ 4 acres of Destin land

“Let’s just say I have concerns,” said CFO Ingoglia
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

🚨 In today’s Tampa Bay Times: The Florida Cabinet votes Tuesday to buy 4 acres of Destin land for a steep price tag: $83M

The land
•is not on the state’s conservation priority list
•is owned by a large campaign donor

Read more here:
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

After viral video of giant manta ray capture, bipartisan Florida lawmakers want change The state wildlife agency allowing the capture of a threatened species is “inconsistent with Florida’s own legacy of marine conservation,” the lawmakers wrote.

Florida’s wildlife agency gave a license to a company to capture a manta ray — a federally designated threatened species — for Sea World in Abu Dhabi.

After a video of its capture went viral, a bipartisan collation of lawmakers is calling for a change:
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

Florida director of state lands resigns months after predecessor The departure marks more turmoil after a year of public lands controversy.

Less than four months after #Florida’s state lands director abruptly resigned amid a controversy about the state trading away a wildlife preserve, her replacement is also stepping down. www.tampabay.com/news/environ... via @maxchesnes.bsky.social

Chassahowitzka River campground to close, could be sold The campground north of Tampa Bay is owned by a state water agency.

Popular #Florida campground to close because of hurricane damage & there's talk of selling the land, much to the horror of its many fans. www.tampabay.com/news/environ... via @maxchesnes.bsky.social

Chassahowitzka River campground to close, could be sold The campground north of Tampa Bay is owned by a state water agency.

State water managers are considering selling the 40-acre Chassahowitzka River campground, a popular destination for Floridians who want access to winding the spring-fed river
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

Endangered Florida panther kittens, born just months ago, hit and killed Conservation groups said the deaths in Naples underscore the need for more wildlife crossings and habitat connectivity in a rapidly developing state.

A pair of Florida panther kittens — sisters born just a few months ago — were both hit and killed in Naples

That brings the statewide panther death total this year to 12. All but one have been caused by car strikes @tampabaytimes.bsky.social
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

A man shot and killed a bear in his yard. He won’t face charges. The incident has enraged an Okaloosa County neighborhood. But legal experts say the shooting is justified under a new state law.

A man shot and killed a bear in his yard. Under a new Florida self-defense law, he won’t face charges.
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

Scientists Say New Government Climate Report Twists Their Work A new Department of Energy report “fundamentally misrepresents” climate research and leaves out key context, multiple scientists cited in the report tell WIRED.

NEW: i spoke to nine (!) scientists across several disciplines whose work was cited in the new Department of Energy report that downplays the severity of climate change. all of them say their work was misrepresented, cherry picked, and/or lacked context —

In just four hours of marine debris cleanup in Tampa Bay:

•50+ abandoned crab traps
•Thousands of pounds of plastic
•Hundreds of feet of ropes and fishing line

Darkness is crucial to Everglades habitat. Could Alligator Alcatraz threaten it? Artificial light in a world-renowned “dark sky” preserve is just one of the environmental and human health concerns surrounding the facility.

In 2016, Florida’s Big Cypress became the nation’s first “dark sky” preserve, a key designation to help endangered nocturnal species

But the leading group that classified the park now says artificial light from Alligator Alcatraz “directly threatens” that
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

82-year-old Clyde Butcher, world-renowned photographer who last year earned a presidential medal for his life’s work documenting the Florida Everglades, joined protests yesterday against the state’s proposed “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center

Fired Florida state parks whistleblower sues state agency for retaliation Former Florida Department of Environmental Protection employee James Gaddis claims he was told to keep plans secret.

Fired #Florida state parks whistleblower sues the state over his firing www.tampabay.com/news/environ... via @maxchesnes.bsky.social

Facing extinction, rare Florida swamp flower could get more protections Federal wildlife officials estimate there are fewer than 1,000 ghost orchids remaining in the United States.

Poaching, sweeping habitat loss and dwindling wetlands have plummeted the population of one of Florida’s most beloved flowers

Now, U.S. Fish and Wildlife proposes bolstering ghost orchid protections by adding it to the endangered species list
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

DeSantis signs bill prohibiting golf, hotels on Florida state parks The governor had said he would sign it, but it directly challenged a plan pursued by his administration.

BREAKING: DeSantis signs bill prohibiting golf, hotels on Florida state parks
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

State Parks saga | Tampa Bay Times In 2024, the DeSantis administration proposed developing state parks across Florida with golf courses, hotels, pickleball courts and more. The Tampa Bay Times revealed and broke news of the plans, cov...

This week marked the 30th story in our series about the DeSantis’ administration’s plans last year to develop state parks with hotels and golf courses

All of those stories are now in one place 👇
www.tampabay.com/topics/state...

After wanting golf in state parks, DeSantis must now decide on a bill to ban it The Florida Legislature sent a bill to protect state parks to DeSantis’ desk Thursday, countering his secret plans last summer.

BREAKING: The Legislature just delivered a decisive victory to Floridians who treasure their state parks, passing a bill to ban golf courses and hotels in parks

The bill heads to the desk of the governor, whose admin’s plans prompted protests last summer

Tampa Bay Times journalists Max Chesnes, Emily L. Mahoney win Lucy Morgan Prize Chesnes and Mahoney accepted the award during a newsroom ceremony Wednesday.

Congrats @maxchesnes.bsky.social & Emily Mahoney
of the @tampabaytimes.bsky.social for winning the Lucy Morgan Award for their #journalism exposing DeSantis administration plan to put hotels, golf courses and sports courts on #Florida parks. Lucy would be proud. www.tampabay.com/news/2025/04....

Florida’s natural history is etched by hurricanes pushing wildlife from one place to the next

I wrote about the most recent example: these land tortoises survived miles of open water in Hurricane Helene’s storm surge

They’re now thriving on a new island:
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

This land swap would give 700 acres of North Florida state forest to peanut farm Wildlife groups say the Twin Rivers State Forest land is home to gopher tortoises and imperiled species.

State water managers are proposing to trade away 700 acres of North Florida state forest land to a peanut farming operation. More here @tampabaytimes.bsky.social
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

Tampa got a $1.6 million grant to plant trees. Federal DEI cuts took it away. The city would have used much of the money to bolster canopies in low-income neighborhoods.

The City of Tampa was slated to get a $1.6 million grant to plant more trees in low-income areas to combat extreme heat

Calling it DEI, the Trump admin is canceling the money:
www.tampabay.com/news/environ...

This scientist was making Florida beaches resilient to hurricanes. DOGE fired him. Michael Slattery was fired in the middle of studying how Sand Key and Madeira Beach are changing over time.

This is the kind of local journalism we really need to be supporting right now...