Florida State Parks Foundation, STIHL expand battery tool fleet

The Florida State Parks Foundation and STIHL Inc. are expanding a 2025 partnership with a $250,000 purchase of battery-powered equipment for parks, trails and historic sites statewide. The move is meant to cut emissions and noise while helping rangers with maintenance and storm recovery work.

Why it matters: - The new tools should reduce emissions and noise at Florida’s state parks, making visits quieter for people and less disruptive for wildlife. - The equipment also gives rangers cleaner options for routine maintenance and faster recovery after storms and severe weather. - The purchase supports the state parks system’s Greener Initiative, which is designed to lower waste, emissions and energy use.

What happened: - The Florida State Parks Foundation and STIHL Inc. announced an expanded partnership on Wednesday at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee. - The Foundation is using a $250,000 allocation from the Greener Initiative to buy battery-powered equipment. - Parks, trails and historic sites from the Panhandle to the Keys will receive tools including chainsaws, blowers and zero-turn mowers. - The partnership between the Foundation and STIHL began in 2025.

The details: - The battery-powered STIHL equipment will replace or reduce the use of gas-powered tools. - The Foundation said the equipment will help park rangers work more efficiently while creating a cleaner environment for visitors and wildlife. - Kathleen Brennan, the Foundation’s immediate past president, said she saw the tools in use at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City and could barely see or hear them. - Brennan said the Foundation wanted to expand the collaboration with STIHL as soon as possible after that visit. - The new equipment will also help after major storms, when rangers clear roadways, remove fallen trees and prepare parks to reopen. - Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher said parks across the state are excited to receive the tools and that last year’s equipment drew positive feedback. - STIHL Southeast commercial solutions manager Eric Hughes said the company is honored to provide tools that are lightweight, quiet and dependable.

Between the lines: - The Greener Initiative is becoming a broader funding vehicle for visible, practical upgrades across Florida’s park system. - Projects funded through the initiative have focused on both visitor experience and day-to-day operations, suggesting the Foundation is tying sustainability to maintenance needs, not just public-facing amenities. - The emphasis on battery-powered equipment also reflects a shift toward lower-noise park operations in settings where sound and scenery matter.

What's next: - More parks statewide are expected to receive the new equipment as the Foundation deploys the $250,000 purchase. - The Greener Initiative will likely continue funding projects that cut waste, emissions and energy use while improving park operations. - Prior projects have included water-bottle refilling stations at 98 state parks and trails, 75 e-bikes for rangers, the hybrid-electric “Great Blue Heron” river tour boat at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park and LED lighting upgrades.

The bottom line: - Florida’s state parks are adding quieter, lower-emission tools that aim to help rangers do more work with less disruption.