As an avid outdoorsman who took his first steps in the white sands of Panama City Beach, no one is more committed to balancing sensible energy development with the need to protect North and Northwest Florida’s vast natural resources.

Home to nine coastal counties and the most beautiful waterways in the country, Florida’s Second District is uniquely tied to its pristine landscape. Common sense management of these treasured resources begins with an understanding that we must preserve our natural wonders without sacrificing the people’s freedom to responsibly enjoy them.

My seat on the House Natural Resources Committee provides me a valuable opportunity to fight for a responsible balance between North and Northwest Florida’s ecological and economic interests. There’s no better example of this fight than in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, when I joined a bipartisan coalition of Gulf Coast lawmakers to introduce H.R. 3096, the RESTORE Act.

The RESTORE Act will ensure that 80% of Clean Water Act fines assessed to the responsible parties will be channeled directly to Florida and the four other affected Gulf states. The reasonable legislation strikes an important balance between rebuilding our coastal economies and our coastal ecosystems.

On the local level, many North and Northwest Florida communities are sustained by the hard work of our fishermen, oystermen and coastal industries. As an outdoorsman myself, I have taken a special interest in fighting to preserve our coastal way of life. For example, I have hosted roundtable discussions with commercial and recreational fishermen to combat the job-crushing impact of bureaucratic regulation on Florida’s fisheries.

I have also cosponsored and voted for a series of common sense American-made energy bills that will put our Gulf Coast communities back to work by lifting the Obama Administration’s de facto moratorium on Gulf energy development, while establishing a new safety review process to reduce the risk of future accidents.

While oil and other fossil fuels are an essential component of America’s energy portfolio, I believe that we have a responsibility to future generations to encourage the development of renewable energy resources. To that end, I have cosponsored legislation that expands access to geothermal, wind and other renewable energy technologies.

Nothing proclaims to the world how special America really is more than the magnificence of our natural treasures. I am honored to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee as we implement sensible conservation measures that maximize the potential of these abundant resources.