Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he would sign a bill into law to prohibit doing exactly what his administration had proposed last year: building golf courses, hotels and other destructive amenities on state park land.

His signature would represent another step in an extraordinary — and rare — course reversal for DeSantis that came after a tsunami of pressure exerted by politicians and the public against the plans, which were first revealed by the Tampa Bay Times before being released and promoted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

In the face of that overwhelming backlash, DeSantis shelved the designs and said, contrary to former environmental employees who worked on the plans, that he had nothing to do with their creation.

DeSantis was asked by a Times reporter Wednesday if he’d sign the bill following a roundtable event in Tampa. He settled the months of speculation and politicking in a single word, replying “Yes.” He did not elaborate.

Related: The behind-the-scenes story of the Florida state park scandal

Eric Draper, who served as the former director of Florida’s state parks under DeSantis, said the governor’s comments are “a big relief.”

“The governor had to respond to the fact that there’s never been such a strong outpouring of support in favor of our environment,” Draper said. “Tens of thousands of Floridians voiced their support for our state parks, both before and during the legislative session, and this bill became the biggest environmental priority.”

Draper said the governor should continue to capitalize on the strong bipartisan support for state parks by ensuring the state’s existing 175 parks are fully funded and staffed in the future. The governor’s comments on his intentions Wednesday serve as an important milestone in a decadeslong fight to shield parks from developers.

“The problem we always face with our parks is somebody comes along with an idea for how to realize their business venture on public land. I think this bill sends a strong message that that idea is a no-go,” Draper said.

In addition to its prohibitions on building sports facilities and hotels in state parks, House Bill 209 also requires the state to complete a report by Dec. 1 that takes inventory of needed repairs on state parks and proposes a plan to address them.

It also adds more transparency around any future proposed changes to parks, requiring that the public have at least 30 days’ notice before a hearing. When last year’s controversy over the park plans erupted, Floridians had just six days to absorb the news before a series of near-simultaneous, one-hour hearings were scheduled around the state, during which presenters were not authorized to answer questions.

DeSantis’ signature on the bill would also cap the nearly yearlong scandal that represented one of the first challenges to his power in the state, which for years seemed unshakable. But since his failed bid for president, DeSantis has seen his influence wane.

It’s unclear exactly when he will sign the bill. Although lawmakers unanimously passed the measure last week, they haven’t officially sent it to his desk. Once lawmakers do that, it triggers a deadline of either seven or 15 days for DeSantis to act, depending on whether the legislative session has been adjourned.

Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Highland Beach Republican who was one of the House sponsors, said this bill “may turn out to be one of the most monumental laws passed in the history of Florida.”

”It allows us to hold forever onto our native parks full of scrub and pine forests, crystal springs, wetland and waterways, and indigenous wildlife,” she said in a text message.

Sen. Gayle Harrell, the Senate sponsor, said she was “delighted to hear” the governor’s comments that he plans to sign the bill into law. She didn’t know his intentions until she heard news of his remarks from a reporter.

“I was a little concerned at first, but that is just terrific news. I am thrilled to pieces,” Harrell said in an interview. “The outcry and public rejection of the idea to develop parks was so significant, I think it would be hard not to sign the bill.”

Harrell’s district includes Jonathan Dickinson State Park, the largest park in southeast Florida and home to the state’s only endemic bird species, the Florida scrub jay. The administration’s plans last summer called for converting more than a tenth of the park, roughly 1,300 acres, into golf courses.

Now she has an idea for where DeSantis should sign the bill.

“I would love to invite him to Jonathan Dickinson and sign it there,” Harrell said. “I think that would be very appropriate.”

Times staff writer Kirby Wilson contributed to this report.