Country Thunder Festival faces pushback over turtle nesting concerns

Wildlife advocacy groups are pushing to cancel the Country Thunder Music Festival, which is slated to bring headliners like Gavin Adock, Zack Top and Kane Brown to the TradeWinds resort on St. Pete Beach for three days in May.

Critics argue the event will negatively affect sea turtle nests and hatchlings. But as businesses are still recovering from the 2024 hurricanes, the city must weigh wildlife conservation against economic necessity.

Lisa Reich, CEO of Coastal Wildlife Advocacy Group, has been a St. Pete Beach resident for 40 years, 15 of which she’s spent patrolling the coastline. Reich warns that the scale of the “industrial build” for Country Thunder, which will bring semi-trucks loaded with heavy rigging, massive staging and extensive decking onto the beach, will dramatically affect local wildlife during peak turtle nesting season.

“We are seeing a massive corporation prioritize a weekend of ticket sales over the longterm survival of Florida’s endangered species,” said Reich, who has sent numerous emails and letters to city officials.

But her attempts at reeducating officials restart each time a new commissioner or mayor is elected, which recently happened with Scott Tate’s ascent as St. Pete Beach’s mayor just over a week ago. Reich, reportedly, has already reached out.

In a letter from March 30, Reich contends that turtle habitats “are protected under federal Endangered Species Act and under St Pete Beach’s LDC [Land Development Code] Division 44; Sections 44.1 Purpose & Intent, Section 44.3 Prohibition of Activities Disruptive to Marine Turtles, Section 44.4 Standards for Beachfront Lighting.”

So far, Reich hasn’t made headway with the city, and while lighting ordinances do exist to protect turtles and other wildlife, she claims there is limited enforcement.

“There seems to me a disregard from local municipalities when I’m trying to educate them. Over 50% of nests on St. Pete Beach become disoriented due to problematic lighting. When a nest hatches, the hatchlings go toward the artificial light,” said Reich, adding that adult turtles coming ashore to nest often get tangled in chairs and cabanas on the beach, and there will be significantly more infrastructure during Country Thunder.

Florida Fish and Wildlife administrator Eric Seckinger also sent a letter to the City of St. Pete Beach stating that the application to host Country Thunder was incomplete and missing crucial details, adding that “submission is NOT approval.”

The Tradewinds’ special event application for Country Thunder is “neither approved nor denied,” according to St. Pete Beach’s Communications Manager Marc Portugal, adding that “no permits have been issued by the DEP or by the city.”

Portugal continued: “There are multiple stakeholders involved with this event application including the Tradewinds (as the applicant), Country Thunder, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as well as local organizations such as the Sea Turtle Trackers and the Audubon Society. The city’s review focuses heavily on environmental factors (aka coastal wildlife) as well as traffic, transportation, parking and public safety. Careful consideration must be given to all aspects of the event.”

Despite still pending approval, Country Thunder Music Festival is already selling tickets.

Not approving Country Thunder, however, would diminish a major economic driver for beach communities that are still reeling, rebuilding or shuttering after the 2024 hurricanes. Large events boost the local economy, forcing municipalities to weigh wildlife conservation against economic necessity.

Reich fears that allowing the festival to proceed will set a “precedent that we don’t care about our wildlife,” she told the Catalyst.

The Treasure Island Kite Festival, for example, increased business profits by upwards of 30%, and beachside business owners have expressed the necessity for more large-scale events to draw visitors back to the beach.

Tourism-related taxes, including bed taxes, business receipts and parking fees provide a revenue stream for the city. Additionally, St. Pete Beach recently voted to increase parking rates, with an estimated $2 million in new revenue earmarked for needed infrastructure improvements.

Representatives of TradeWinds and the City of St. Pete Beach were not immediately available for comment.