Environment
I am extremely proud to be a part of a state that is so environmentally enhanced. Florida has an abundance of conservation needs that, if given the proper attention, will help us facilitate keeping an environmentally sound state.
Adequate funding, with smart budgetary decisions, will help protect our environment. I believe conservation initiatives should consist of an ongoing federal/state partnership of grants for land preservation and recreation on both public and private lands.
Regarding drilling for oil in the United States, I vote in support of drilling in ANWR, which is currently one of the most promising U.S. onshore oil and gas exploration and development prospects. Congress set this section of ANWR aside in 1980 so that it could be studied for its oil and gas potential. Particularly, the Energy bill would allow oil and gas exploration on only 12,000 surface acres of the refuge, less than one percent of the coastal plain. As you may know, ANWR consists of 19 million acres in northeast Alaska, 17.5 million acres of which is permanently closed to development. In real terms, ANWR is the size of South Carolina, and the area proposed for the oil and gas-leasing program is roughly the size of the Atlanta airport.
I have great concern for our environment and ecosystem and I am convinced that we can strike a balance between the needs of our country and the needs of the environment. As an elected official, it is my duty to make sure sound management principles are instituted in our nation’s forests. Congress is looking for commonality and working toward a workable compromise. The American people deserve thoughtful, rational policies that allow local management and public enjoyment of their own lands.
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