Tag: Gulf environmental impact

A new proposal from the Trump administration that could open the eastern Gulf to oil drilling is causing the rarest of things in Florida: agreement.

In just the first 24 hours after the administration unveiled its proposal to auction two oil leases in the eastern Gulf about 100 miles from Florida shores, a unified bipartisan pushback emerged with haste.

Republican leaders, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, opposed the plan with a focus on the threat that new drilling could pose to military stations in Florida’s Panhandle. The Florida Democratic Party said drilling could harm the state’s natural ecosystems. But both sides agreed: New oil leases are a bad idea.

The swift alignment against drilling follows a yearslong pattern of Florida’s elected leaders, and the many coastal communities they represent, drawing what they hope will be a firm, oil-free line in the sand. In 2018, 69% of Florida voters approved a ban on drilling for oil and gas in state waters.

“When I first saw the Trump administration’s proposal, I wasn’t worried about where Florida would land on the issue. The two parties have always been dependable about keeping oil out and away from our shores,” said Jack Davis, author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the history of the Gulf of Mexico.

The reason, in part, is the multibillion-dollar tourism industry that lures hundreds of millions of visitors to the state each year, Davis said. But there’s also a cultural reason: Floridians take pride in their beloved natural spaces. They understand that the economy and the environment are inextricably linked. Just look at how both political parties came together last year against the now-abandoned plans from the DeSantis administration to develop state parks, Davis said.

“Florida, when it comes to protecting the environment, has had a fairly decent track record,” Davis said. “We deserve a pat on the back for the bipartisanship and being consistent with the issue.”

Asked at a Friday news conference about the plan, DeSantis reiterated his hope that the Trump administration reverts to its 2020 order extending a moratorium on drilling in federal waters off Florida until 2032. Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Rick Scott reintroduced a measure that would codify that ban into law.

DeSantis said he worked closely with the White House on the former plan, and he said that was “thoughtful policy.” Along with environmental concerns, he said, he also has concerns about how oil drilling could impact the Panhandle’s military footprint.

“If you go talk to our folks up in the Panhandle who are stationed there, they will say it’s really important to be able to have that access to be able to do key training,” DeSantis said.

In 2023, a bipartisan group of local lawmakers urged President Joe Biden to prevent new offshore drilling leases.

On Thursday, eight Republican members of Florida’s congressional delegation sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to reconsider. They framed their argument around the disruption it could cause for the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range.

“While we wholeheartedly support your push for American energy independence and expanded domestic oil and gas production, the [training range] is critical to advanced weapons development, flight testing, and joint exercises essential to maintaining America’s military superiority,” the letter said.

“The plan will likely also reduce tourism along the Gulf Coast, which is God’s gift to Florida,” the letter states.

Rep. Byron Donalds, the Trump-endorsed candidate for Florida governor, is one of the eight lawmakers who signed on. Former House Speaker Paul Renner, who is running against Donalds in the Republican primary, also spoke out against Trump’s plan, saying: “Putting Florida First means protecting the Gulf. No drilling.”

Sen. Scott also came out in opposition, along with Florida Democratic Party Chairperson Nikki Fried.

Trump’s plan calls for opening a large stretch of the eastern Gulf of Mexico that has been traditionally off-limits to new drilling. The federal government would auction two drilling leases in that region beginning in 2029, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

The agency will open a 60-day public comment period about the proposal on Monday.

Davis, the award-winning author, said it’s easy to be cynical in thinking that Floridians’ sweeping opposition to oil drilling could be motivated by business interests. But the new drilling plan renews the need to refocus our connection with the natural world as a whole.

“There are real connections between the ecological health of the environment and our general quality of life. If you diminish the former, you diminish the latter,” he said. “I just wish we would apply that understanding universally across our larger relationship with the environment.”

The Tampa Bay Times launched the Environment Hub in 2025 to focus on some of Florida’s most urgent and enduring challenges. You can contribute through our journalism fund by clicking here.