May 29, 2002 President Takes Action to Preserve Florida's Environment

May 29, 2002

President Takes Action to Preserve Florida's Environment

President's Statement on Preserving Florida's Environment Florida is known worldwide for its beautiful coastal waters and the Everglades. Today we are acting to preserve both. Florida is also known for its strong commitment to preserving these extraordinary natural resources, and the federal government is a strong partner in those efforts. Today, I am extremely pleased to announce two historic actions in the state of Florida that exemplify personal stewardship and conservation partnerships. The United States government will buy back the rights for natural gas and oil development in Destin Dome, and in critical parts of the Everglades. These are important steps in preserving some of our Nation's most beautiful natural treasures, including Big Cypress National Preserve, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, and the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Today's action once again demonstrates that my Administration will take seriously the views of local communities. The federal government should continue to work closely with states and local communities in solving issues that affect energy security, the economy, and the environment. I appreciate the good work of Secretary Norton and the staff of the Department of the Interior, Governor Bush and his team, the Collier family, and the private sector companies whose hard work has made these agreements possible. They have contributed greatly to our shared mission of sustained stewardship of these extraordinary natural areas.
    President Bush today announced two agreements that will preserve Florida's environment for generations to come. Read the President's Statement. The President announced an agreement between the Departments of Interior and Justice and private energy companies to buy back oil and gas leases in the Destin Dome area offshore from Pensacola, Florida. And, the President announced an important agreement to buy back drilling rights in the Florida Everglades ecosystem. Taken together, these actions will help to preserve some of Florida's most significant natural treasures. Under the agreement that President Bush announced today, the United States government will buy back the development rights for offshore oil and natural gas development rights in Destin Dome, as well as the rights to future oil and gas development in critical parts of the Everglades ecosystem. Destin Dome: Destin Dome is the name of a large natural gas field in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from Pensacola, Florida. Several petroleum companies that own the oil and gas leases for Destin Dome have begun exploring the area and have sued the Federal government over alleged improper regulatory hurdles that have delayed development.
    Under the agreement in principle announced today, the Departments of Interior and Justice will resolve this lawsuit by buying out nine of the 11 leases in the area for $115 million, precluding production of this large field. The State of Florida and the Federal government will each have the ability to object to future development of the remaining two unexplored leases. Today's agreement responds to state and local requests to prohibit oil and gas drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast. Everglades: The second agreement announced by the President today concerns the Everglades ecosystem. Big Cypress National Preserve (consisting of 729,000 acres next to the Everglades National Park), Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (26,400 acres in Collier County, Florida) and Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (35,000 acres in Collier County) were established partially on land donated by the Collier family. However, the Collier family retained its rights to oil and gas exploration and currently owns approximately 72% of the oil and gas rights in these areas.
    Under the agreement announced today, the Department of Interior will buy out the Colliers' substantial oil and gas rights in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther NWR and Ten Thousand Islands NWR. Once the Colliers' rights are acquired and retired, further development within these areas will essentially be precluded. The Colliers will receive $120 million for the leases (either in cash or in credits that could be used toward other federal oil and gas leases), subject to Congressional approval. Today's action is more good news for the Bush Administration's efforts to protect and restore the Everglades. Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther NWR and Ten Thousand Islands NWR are part of the Everglades ecosystem that is being restored according to the joint federal-state Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a 30-year effort that is the largest habitat restoration ever undertaken. President Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed an agreement on January 9, 2002 to reserve the water supplies necessary for Everglades restoration.