Information Circular 107


solely by oil and gas exploration. This Committee
provides a forum for industry, various regulatory
agencies, and environmental groups to allow oil
exploration and development while ensuring the
protection of sensitive environmental and wildlife
resources (Big Cypress Area Management Task
Force, 1984).
 In 1974, Congress set aside about 40 percent
of the Big Cypress Swamp (570,000 acres) as
the Big Cypress National Preserve (Figure 1). In
the legislation creating the Preserve, the National
Park Service acquired the surface land rights,
but, in most cases, not the mineral rights. This
legislation (Public Law 93-440) allows oil and gas
exploration as long as it is not detrimental to the
purpose of the preserve, which is to: ... ensure
the preservation, conservation and protection of
the natural, scenic, hydrologic, floral, faunal and
recreational values of the Big Cypress
watershed, and to provide the enhancement and
public enjoyment thereof."
 The rule revisions of 1981 through 1986
 incorporated additional environmental concerns.
These rules and the interagency cooperation of
the Big Cypress Swamp Advisory Committee
allow oil production and exploration to take place
while minimizing damage to the environment.


 Current Regulation of
 Geophysical Exploration

 An amendment in 1980 gave the Florida
 Geological Survey the statutory authority to
 regulate geophysical activity, both onshore and
 offshore in state waters (Chapter 377, Part 1,
 Florida Statutes). Rules were adopted in 1984
 (Chapter 16C-26.07, F.A.C.) to implement this
 authority and legitimate permitting began in July
 1984. The rules state:
 "It is the intent of the department to permit
 geophysical operations in Florida
 provided that this activity is conducted in a
 manner which minimizes or prevents the
 destruction of or injury to the environment
 and the natural resources of the State of


 Florida."
 There were major revisions to the geophysical
rules in 1985 and 1986 that resulted from safety
violations by some geophysical companies and
from additional concerns about wildlife habitat
and sensitive environments.


 Offshore Activity and Policy Development
 JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES

 State ownership of the continental shelf off
Florida extends three miles into the Atlantic
Ocean and about 10.5 miles (three marine
leagues) into the Gulf of Mexico. The federal
government controls resources beyond these
state boundaries out to 200 miles. The Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) is a jurisdictional term
that describes the offshore area that is under the
control of the federal government. The federal
government divides the OCS into planning areas.
Three federal OCS planning areas surround
Florida: the Eastern Planning Area, the Straits of
Florida Planning Area, and the South Atlantic
Planning area (Figure 3) (Johnson and Tucker,
1987).


 OFFSHORE STATE WATERS


 There has been no leasing of tracts within
 Florida state waters since the early 1980's. At
 this time, the only known active leases within
 Florida state waters are held by Coastal
 Petroleum Company. Three leases were
 obtained by Coastal Petroleum in the late 1940's.
 Two of these leases cover state land in the Gulf
 of Mexico, from the coastline to about 10 miles
 offshore, between Apalachicola and Naples,
 Florida and the submerged land of rivers and
 lakes that feed this area. A third lease covers
 Lake Okeechobee.
 Between 1947 and 1983, a total of 19 wells
 were drilled in Florida state waters (Figure 4).