Florida vacationers and Off-shore drilling: where oil and water don’t mix.

However, life in Florida is being altered for our tourists and snow birds.  The idea that Florida offers a beautiful and relaxing retreat from every day life is no longer a given.  Issues, such as off-shore drilling, are creeping into the fabric of our state and are beginning to make a difference to those that rely on Florida as a place to get away from it all.

When I asked my clients what they thought of the issue of off-shore drilling, I was secretly hoping that they would hear the cry of battle and ask where they can enlist. Their response was very sobering. They said that they were talking about relocating.  First they talked about moving down the coast, until they realized that the issues would just follow them.  In the end they confessed that they have been thinking about the Cayman Islands.  And why wouldn’t they?  As much as I didn’t like to hear that, it is a reality that we all must face.  A good portion of our state is made up of people who have a limited allegiance to Florida.  Florida serves a purpose for them, and when it no longer serves that purpose, they will find their needs met elsewhere.

And for those of you who will argue that the state needs an economy that is not based on tourism, don’t be so quick to think we can live without them.  My clients, in particular, have been here for years.  Along with themselves, they have brought their family and friends who have in turn also purchased vacation property along our coast.  When they come here for a visit, they spend their time vacationing – which means an incredible influx of money spent on dining, shopping, and entertainment.  They have also purchased several condos through the years that have required remodeling.  All in told, they have spent millions of dollars on properties, contractors, furnishings, and trimmings in this state.  Multiply that by the people that come here because of them and you can see how it spirals.  When they leave, it’s not just two people who will be leaving the state.  And if you can surmise from their reaction to how Florida is being governed, imagine how many other “vacationers” are feeling the same way.

The argument for off-shore drilling has always been underlined with the amount of revenue it will bring to the state.  And since our state is expected to be in the hole with a $2.6 billion deficit this year, its hard to argue that on face value.   But this argument is riddled with gross assumptions that are made, not only by the people that are working directly to make this happen, but also by the general public.  Nowhere in the current legislation that is being proposed does it include any revenue sharing like they do in Alaska.  Granted, it will give a quick shot in the arm to our state by what I like to call a “signing bonus”, but the money in general, is years off and at it’s best, vague on the overall affect it will have on the state as a long term solution for our economic woes.  Compare that to the immediate loss of the billions of dollars that will be leaving the state because of this issue and you will be hard-pressed to call off-shore drilling a “solution”.

Consider the physical impact that off-shore drilling will produce to our visitors and our residents.   Forget about the concern for oil spills, just the exploration alone will bring about an immediate change. Here’s an example of what is experienced:

 Oil exploration doesn’t have to get to the point of drilling the well to do damage, because even the mapping of rock formations–which would probably occur prior to leasing–requires use of explosives-level seismic air guns. What’s that mean? Here’s a description from the Canadian group, Oil Free Coast: 

This deafening noise causes fish swim bladders to explode, it kills marine larvae and disrupts the traditional migratory paths of some fish species and marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins. In some places, these disturbances have resulted in reductions in commercial fish catches up to 50 percent, and have caused whales to leave waters where they are habitually found.

 Anna Maria Island has been tagged as the place where all things associated with “exploration” will be launched in our immediate area.  Docks, barges, large equipment, workers will call Anna Maria Island their new home.  And for those of you who have not had the good fortune of visiting Anna Maria Island, you should know that there isn’t a spot left that has gone undeveloped.  It is a city  that is “a mere 1.5 square miles in size and has 1650 year- round residents.” It is a vacation spot for thousands of tourists annually.  Anna Maria Island boasts that they will have over 400 weddings performed there this year alone.  So this pretty little island that is laced with old homes, modern architecture, a community theater, churches, restaurants, and white sand beaches will become a home base for Big Oil.

Is this a place where people will continue to consider when they make their plans for their wedding, honeymoons, vacations, family reunions, or company gatherings once the first nail is driven into a pier that will support off the barges for the exploration of off-shore drilling? Just the mention of that possibility is giving our tourists a moment of pause.

Most recently the Chicago Tribune reported the following concerns of NOAA – National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration :

In strong language, NOAA said it was “very concerned” that the Department of Interior’s 2010-2015 draft leasing plan to open up new drilling areas in the Arctic coast, the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico would have devastating impacts on marine life, commercial and recreational fisheries and the ocean’s resources.

The agency’s letter to Interior officials sharply criticizes the leasing plan’s assessment of the risks of such catastrophes as oil spills, calling them “understated and generally not supported or referenced,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

So when you consider your support for this effort and you are accused of being a “NIMBY” (Not In My Back Yard), don’t shy away from the scrutiny.  It has nothing to do with being a hypocrite when you are fully evaluating the economic and environmental impact of such a large undertaking on your community.  Getting caught up in the talking points of off-shore drilling supporters is doing an incredible disservice to our state and the industry of tourism.  Realizing that the future impacts of off-shore drilling or “near-shore” drilling (as some fence riders like to call it), are here and now.  Now matter how you spin it, oil and water don’t mix.