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
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~. 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
~.