Fritz Musselmann

Growing up in rural eastern Pasco County, Florida, gave Fritz a true appreciation for the —Real Florida” that Florida State Parks represent to the citizens and visitors of our great state.

Fritz’s appreciation for —Real Florida” during his youth, transcended into a 30 plus year career at one of Florida’s five water management districts where as Land Resources Director, Fritz provided direction and oversight in the areas of land acquisition and management resulting in the conservation and protection of some 435,000 acres. During his tenure at the water management district, acquisition and management partnerships were developed with local governments/school districts, regional water supply authorities, various agencies of the state of Florida and several not-for-profit organizations such as Florida Trail.

In addition to providing many water resource benefits, the acquisition and management partnerships resulted in the protection of 305 miles of rivers and streams; establishment of four state parks and a large addition to a fifth state park; more than 20 local government parks; the Green Swamp segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail and 18 sites identified as part of the Great Florida Birding Trail; 857 miles of multi-use trails; ten wildlife management areas for hunting, fishing and other activities; three environmental education centers and the renovation of two existing centers, as well as the establishment of a volunteer program and a recreational guide.

Fritz’s kinship with Florida State Parks stems from his appreciation for natural landscapes and historic sites and his career in the acquisition and management of conservation lands. Fritz resides in Pasco County with his wife Denise who shares the kinship with state parks through her love for the outdoors and her activities on the Friends Board for the recently established Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

Florida State Parks provide visitors with a myriad of recreational opportunities, but more importantly, Fritz believes —the parks are natural classrooms, where all visitors no matter their age get a glimpse at real Florida and in turn, gain an appreciation for just how important it is to protect Florida’s diverse natural, cultural and archaeological resources for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations”.