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Item M07 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY \1cCling Datc: ~larch. 15,2006 - Marathon Bulk hem: Yes 1\0 X Division: Department: BOCC DISTRICT FIVE Staff Contact Person: Donna Hanson AGE:"lDA I1'E.'\1 \VORDI~G: Approval of a resolution ofthe Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, supporting efforts to protect Florida from offsbore drilling and exploration. ITE.'\J B:\CKGROL'~D: This resolution was requested by DeVon Quirolo of Reef Relief. PREVIOLTS RELEVA~T BOCC ACTION: CO:\TR~CT/AGREE'IE]\'T CH..\NGES: S1' AFF RECOl\IME~DA TIONS: TOT:\L COST: :\fiA BUDGETED Yes No COST TO COC]\'TY: SOURCE OF FUNDS: RE\'E"'lIE PRODUCI~G; Yes No Al\10UNT PER MONTH_ Year APPRO\'ED B'Y; County Atty ~ OMB/Purehasing _ Risk Management_ DIVISIO!\ DIRECTOR APPROVAL: ~ lM'"ray f. N e:l..1rorv MAYOR PRO 1'El\Il\IVRRA Y E. "'ELSOl\ DOCr:\IE!\'TA TION: Ine 1 uded x :\Jot Required_ DISPOSITIO~: AGENDA I1'E1\1 # Rc\'ised 2 05 RESOLUTION NO. - 2,0(}6 RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COmnSSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY; FLORIDA~ SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO PROTECT FLORIDA FROM OFFSHORE DRILLING AND EXPLORA nON WHEREAS, Florida' 5 coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, beaches, fisheries, endangered species,. tourism and quality of life depend upon clean ocean waters; the impacts of drilling muds and spills caused by offshore oil development can be canied by great distances by the Gulf Loop Current onto F1orida's coasts; routine drilling muds release thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the environment, harm fish. corals and marine mammals, and place Florida at risk of a large or catastrophic spill~ and WHEREAS, Floridians and especially residents of the Florida Keys have been unified in their opposition to offshore oil drilling and exploration for many years~ and WHEREAS, the area south of 26 degrees North Latitude, approximately where Marco Island, Florida, lies, and all waters outside of Lease Sale 181, are under a Congressional moratorium for oil and natural gas exploration and developme1)t, thanks to years of past efforts; and WHEREAS, the Congressional and a Presidential moratoria on offshore oil are now up for review, at a time when our coral reefs are endangered and need more, not less, protection to survive, The White House agreement with the state of Florida that currently protects most of Lease Sale 181, a hotly contested area in the Gulf, expires next year, and WHEREAS, the effort to open Florida up to oil drilling began with the Interior Department removing Florida's jurisdiction and giving Louisiana authority over Lease Sale 181, via publication of a revised "Seaward Boundary Lines Extension" in the Federal Register in January of2006, that occurred without public review or comment; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Interior Department released a new Five Year Plan for Oil and Gas Development and Exploration that undermines \;uITent protections for Florida' s coral reefs; the current program runs through June 30, 2007. and the next Five Year Plan would put a 4 million + acre area on the auction block and proposes to rapidly make the west coast of Florida the most intensively-leased region of all current1y-protected Outer Continental Shelf waters nationwide, also opening up the coast ofVirg;nia and Alaska's fishery-rich Bristol Bay; and WHEREAS, public comments on the proposed Five Year Plan can be submitted to the Minerals Management Service untjl April, 2006; and WHEREAS, efforts are underway in Congress to fast track femoval of its moratoria and the president could rescind his father's executive withdrawals that currently protect Florida from offshore oil; the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee filed a bill that would authorize oil drilling in an area 100 miles south of the Florida Panhandle; Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M,) says he has the votes to open the Lease Sale I8} area in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling; the first hearing is set for February 16th; the biU requires the Interior Department to begin offering leases in the "bulge" portion of the Lease Sale 181 area off the Florida coast within one year; and WHEREAS, Florida Senators Mel Martinez (R) and ain Nelson (D) have filed a bill which makes permanent the driHing moratorium in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, including most of Lease Sale 181; the Permanent Protection fOf Florida Act, numbered Senate Bill #2239, would keep drilling as far as 260 miles off Florida's west coast and J 50 miles off the Panhandle and the east coast~ the eastern Gulf is a military training zone and helps protect that zone by banning drilling within it and setting up a buffer alongside it for at least five years, but the measure would not prevent development on roughly 700,000 acres in the area's southwest portion; and WHEREAS, as more threats to bring oil drilling closer to Florida's shores emerge in Washington, Florida Govenor Jeb Busb's fole is becoming increasingly pivotal; he can help craft a remedy acceptable to Florida's delegation and Congress as a whole; after years of being unified against drilling, Florida's congressional members seem more divided and indeeisive on the issue than ever; the Governor supports the Nelson Martinez bill; .to;".. NOW, THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA: }, We support the strongest possible protection for Florida and other fragile marine environments from the impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration and development, including additional efforts to expand exclusionary zones, extension of Presidential and Congressional moratoria., and defeat of legislation to open up our coast to offshore oil. We encourage the Interior Department Minerals Management Service, our Florida Congressmen and Florida Governor JOO Bush to work in support of these goals. We support the Permanent Protection for Florida Act, numbered Senate BiH #2239 filed by Florida Senators Martinez and Nelson. 2. We oppose the Department of the Interior's new 5 Year Plan and tile legislation filed by Senator Pete Domenici to allow oil drilling near Florida We oppose any new offshore oil and gas leasing, exploration, drilling activity and seismic inventories affecting Florida's coast and support new Congressional moratoria against offshore oil drilling near Florida and other fragile coastal areas. We encourage extension of the Presidential Executive Order that bans leasing off America's east and west coasts and parts of Alaska from 2012 to 2020. 3. We support a permanent cancellation of the 90+ existing and active leases, some as close as 11 miles from our coast. Compensate the holders of those leases through rents due and royalty forgiveness for other current drilling activity. We support canceling any activity in Lease Sale 181 and establishment of a 150 mile buffer zone against drilling on Florida's east coast. ~ L~ .. - _ _ _ ~ r.__ 4. A copy oftbis resOluhon shall De senI 10: a, Ren.u Orr, 5.Year Program Manager, Minerals Management Sevice (MS-4010), Room 3 120, 381 Eiden Street. Herndon, Virgini a 20 I 70 b. HoltOt'tlble SentJlor Bill Nelson, 7 J 6 Senate Hart Office Bui Iding, Washington, DC 20510 c. Ho1Wl'tWle Se/1.4tOr MeJ Martine:. 317 Hart Senate Office Bui Iding, Washington, DC 20510 d, Honorobk Represtmtative IIeana Ros-Leluinen, 2160 Rayburn Building, Washington., DC 20515 e. Governor Jeb Bush, The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida 32301 PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 15th day of March, 2006, Mayor McCoy Mayor Pro Tern Nelson Commissioner Neugent COmmissioner Rice Commissioner Spehar (SEAL) Attest: DANNY L.KOLHAGE, Oerk BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By Deputy Oed By Mayor/Chairpenoo ~NNE A., HunON A~'tmoRNE'f I'