In the center of Balboa Park in San Diego, California lies the beautiful Florida Canyon. When our city leaders set aside 1,400 acres for a park in 1868, the land was essentially natural, undisturbed land consisting of grasslands and coastal sage scrub.
The 1915 Panama-California Exposition accelerated the humanizing of the park by planting thousands of non-native trees, constructing roads and placing buildings on the previously undisturbed natural landscape.
In 1960, the Balboa Park Master Plan prepared by Harland Bartholomew and Associates also recommended that Florida Canyon be preserved in its native state.
Now that sustainability and the link between environment and health has been thoroughly documented, however, a growing number of people are advocating for the closure and subsequent restoration.
The Friends of Florida Canyon, San Diego Canyonlands and many other environmental groups are strong advocates for closing Florida Drive.
For the sake of providing a much-needed quality, native experience, Florida Drive must be closed.
After 55 years of talking and reading about it, it’s time to take action.