TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The director of Florida’s environmental protection agency has announced her resignation two months following a contentious proposal to build golf courses, pickleball courts, and hotels within state park land, a plan that generated unexpected bipartisan dissent.

Shawn Hamilton will be succeeded as the secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) by Alexis Lambert, previously the chief of staff for the state bond finance division, as confirmed by a statement from Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ office on Thursday.

In an email sent to state employees, which was later acquired by the Tampa Bay Times, Hamilton indicated his decision to leave was motivated by a desire to “transition to the private sector” after serving over three years in the role of DEP leader.

The Florida DEP had introduced the “Great Outdoors Initiative” in August, which included plans that faced significant backlash. The initial public hearing schedule consisted of just one hour dedicated to feedback across the nine parks impacted by these proposals. Widespread opposition emerged, crossing political affiliations and drawing responses from high-profile Republican legislative leaders and members from Congress, including U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, as well as opposition from Democratic figures and environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and the Cleo Institute.

In light of the backlash, Governor DeSantis ultimately decided to scrap the initial plans for the state parks, returning to the planning stage.