This beef cattle lease scheme orginated in Tallahassee, although top administrators are doing everything they can to make it look like a bottom-up suggestion. The instigators in Tallahassee were finalizing the cattle lease proposal (bypassing the management plan update process) when a Freedom Of Information Act request blew their cover. All this was proceeding without involving the public, local elected officials, or entities involved with the Myakka such as the Friends of Myakka, Myakka River Management Coordinating Council, or the Myakka Conservancy. The cows are part of a massive “multiple use” policy shift that soon will affect other parks with possibilities such as well fields and cell phone towers. Curiously, one of DEP’s top priorities is getting more people to visit our state parks. Despite this, there has been no economic impact analysis of this cattle lease and no consideration of how it will affect public perception and use of our second most popular inland state park. We need to stop this dangerous “anything goes” approach to privatizing our state parks. Today, Myakka. Tomorrow, other Florida State Parks.