NPCA submitted the following positions to the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources ahead of a hearing scheduled for April 2, 2019.
H.R. 205 – Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act: NPCA supports this legislation to permanently extend the moratorium on leasing in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico due to concerns of opening new areas to offshore oil drilling while national parks have already been negatively affected in places where drilling currently occurs. The health of the national parks around the Gulf of Mexico is directly linked to the health of the entire Gulf. Within the Gulf of Mexico watershed, there are ten unique national park units, including Everglades National Park, Padre Island and Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and DeSoto National Memorial. In addition to national parks, there are other protected lands and waters of national significance along the Gulf coast, which include national wildlife refuges, national forests, and marine protected areas. These places are integral to the region’s natural systems and economic and cultural fabric.
H.R. 1941 – Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act: NPCA supports this legislation to help protect our Atlantic and Pacific coasts from the potential harm and industrialization of offshore drilling. By permanently removing the Atlantic and Pacific planning areas from future Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Programs, 46 national parks along these coasts, and the local communities they support, will be free from the threat of oil spills and industrialization. Visitors to these parks, including Acadia and Olympic National Parks, Cape Canaveral, Cape Hatteras and Point Reyes National Seashores, supported over 45,000 jobs and generated more than $3.7 billion in economic output in 2017. Not only are these sites destinations for millions of annual visitors, but they also serve as havens for birds, sea turtles, whales and other wildlife.
