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Item 8E~" AGENDA ITEM #8E • ~~~~ MARCH 13, 2006 SARASOTA COUNTY "Dedicated to Quality Service" ~'" February 7, 2006 The Honorable Jeb Bush Office of the Governor ~" PL-O5, The Capitol Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Re: Offshore Drilling in Florida Waters BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 1660 Ringling 13oulevard • Sarasota. Florida 34236 Telephone 941-86 2 -5344 Fax 94 I -861-5987 Govemor Bush, for many years, the State of Florida has been under pressure to support ~* initiatives designed to allow offshore drilling off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. Although these efforts have been defeated, Congress is again considering whether such drilling should occur adjacent to the State of Florida. As a coastal community located on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota County is very concerned with any activities that could impact the gulfs quality and health. Our ~. community identity, economy, and culture are integrally linked and dependent on a healthy and attractive coastal environment. We believe that offshore drilling will compromise the integrity of Florida waters. Our valuable marine environments and the wildlife depend on gulf waters and ~,. could suffer serious, perhaps catastrophic, and long-lasting harm if an accident were to occur off the coast of Florida. The risks of drilling aze too high for our community and for the state of Florida. It is our understanding that the Department of the Interior has prepared the "20D7-2012 O~`shore Drilling Plan for the Gulf of Mexico ", which includes a proposal to give the State of Louisiana „~ authority over portions of Florida waters. If the plan to grant authority over Lease Sale Area 181 to Louisiana is approved, it bears the potential to allow drilling in Florida waters. Such action is contrary to the consistent opposition of Floridians to oil exploration in Florida waters and will undermine our efforts to protect local waters and our coastline. We request that, on behalf of communities such as ours and resources in the state, you challenge this component of the Offshore Drilling Plan and seek to maintain Florida's right to manage its own waters in ~. accordance with the community and environmental standazds that its citizens demand. We support Senator Mel Marlinez's and Bill Nelson's bill, known as the "Permanent Protection for Florida Act of 2006", to permanently prohibit offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf ,. off the•State of Florida, including Lease Sale Area 181. This bipartisan bill proposes to protect Florida's unique environment and tourism dependent economy from the threat of offshore drilling. Paul H. Mercier, District 1 David R. Mills. District 2 Shannon Staub. District 3 Nora Patterson, District < Jon Thaxton, District 5 pmercier@scgov.net dmdls@scgov.net sstaub@scgovnet npatters@scgov.net jthaxton@scgov.net ~w ~~~~ ~. AGENDA ITEM #8E MARCH 13, 2006 ~. The Honorable Jeb Bush "" February 6, 2006 Page 2 ~. This is an opportunity to provide long-term protections to the Gulf of Mexico and other Florida waters and to preserve Florida's landscape. We hope that the State of Florida will officially `'" support this historic Iegislation and oppose any legislative activities that facilitate drilling off the coast of Florida, or that confer to another state authority over Florida waters. ~"' Thank you for taking the time to consider our concerns. With regards, ~. AVID R. ILLS Chairman ~* c: The Honorable Mel Martinez The Honorable Bill Nelson Sarasota Board of County Commissioners ~.