Therefore, we urge that the Minerals Management Service exclude all outer continental shelf lands impacting Florida coastlines from the five-year plan. Florida's beaches, fisheries, and wildlife draw millions of tourists each year from around the globe, supporting our state's largest industry. The brackish waters along the coast provide an irreplaceable link in the life cycle of many species, both marine and terrestrial. Florida's commercial fishing industry relies on these estuaries as nurseries for the most commercially harvested fish. The environmental and economic value of this area is reflected in the vast number of state and federal holdings in designated environmental preservation, conservation, and recreation areas, including over 50 such areas along a coastal area of about 175 miles in the Florida panhandle.
Oil spills are one of the most visible concerns related to oil and gas development along our coasts.
However, there are several other potentially detrimental environmental effects that these activities could have on the shallow, clean water marine communities found on the Florida outer continental shelf. For example, physical disturbances caused by anchoring, pipeline placement and rig construction, the resuspension of bottom sediments, and the chronic pollution from discharges of drilling effluents, production effluents, and possible accidental releases of oil or other toxic material can be very destructive. In addition to the environmental and economic impacts of oil and gas development on the Florida coasts, there are also potential significant impacts on military flight operations in the Gulf of Mexico and NASA flight operations in the South Atlantic Planning Area. We believe these issues should be fully evaluated to ensure that safety and readiness remain priorities. The Florida delegation has been successful in previous years in securing protection for these resources by implementing moratoria on additional leasing in Florida waters.