Preserving the Everglades in Florida

President Bush has announced two agreements that will preserve Florida's environment for generations to come.

The President has announced an agreement between the Departments of Interior and Justice and private energy companies to buy back oil and gas leases in the Destin Dome area offshore from Pensacola, Florida. And, the President announced an important agreement to buy back drilling rights in the Florida Everglades ecosystem. Taken together, these actions will help to preserve some of Florida's most significant natural treasures.

Last year, in a speech at Sequoia National Park, President Bush outlined a new environmentalism for the 21st century -an agenda based on encouraging personal stewardship and ensuring that the federal government works in partnership with state and local governments and the private sector. The President also told Americans that "our duty is to use the land well, and sometimes, not to use it at all." The everglades announcement is another example of the Bush Administration's commitment to a new environmentalism for the 21st century.

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