Over the last several weeks, Defenders of Wildlife’s Florida office has been working for improvements in search and recovery operations to impacted by the disastrous Gulf oil spill. We’ve worked to ensure that accurate, up-to-date information is reported from the Gulf and hosted clean-ups with our partners on beaches around Tampa Bay to prepare in case oil reaches our shores.
Today, I need your help to prevent another offshore oil disaster, one that could be right off our Florida shoreline. Please use the information below to contact your Florida state senator and state representative and tell them to put a constitutional amendment banning drilling in Florida waters on the November ballot:
Your State Representative Debbie Mayfield – (850) 488-0952 or (772) 778-5077
Florida House of Representatives Switchboard: (850) 488-1157
Your State Senator Mike Haridopolos – (850) 487-5056 or (321) 752-3131
Find Contact Information fort Your State Senator
You can make a big difference today! Just deliver this simple message:
My name is XXXXX and I’m calling from Vero Beach because I’m deeply concerned about the effects of offshore drilling on Florida’s wildlife, communities and tourist 
economy. During the special legislative session next week, I urge you to support a constitutional amendment banning drilling in Florida waters on the November ballot. Because offshore drilling poses such a significant threat to marine wildlife, the environment, fisheries, tourism, and enjoyment value of our coasts, it is critical for Florida to make the prohibition against drilling ironclad, and Floridians should have the right to vote on this very important decision.
Please report your call. Our advocates in the state capitol will be tracking the opposition to offshore drilling closely and following up with state representatives and senators to ensure that your voice is heard. Having seen firsthand the magnitude of the damage from the BP Gulf oil disaster, Governor Charlie Crist has called a special session of the Florida Legislature on Tuesday, July 20th – Friday, July 23rd… and we need your help to make the most of this opportunity to protect our coasts and wildlife. At stake are some of the Sunshine State’s most beautiful beaches and some of our most spectacular wildlife – animals like endangered Kemp’s ridley and threatened loggerhead sea turtles, whales, dolphins, giant blue fin tuna and rare shorebirds.
Currently, Florida has a moratorium on drilling our coasts, but that ban could be overturned in any legislative session – which almost happened just last year, putting our coasts and economy at devastating risk. It is now tragically clear that cleanup technologies have not kept pace with drilling techniques, and that endangers Florida’s coast and tourist economy, so I need your help to ensure that our coasts, communities and, especially, our wildlife remain protected from this toxic threat. Please contact your state senators and state representative now and speak out for permanent protection.
For the Wild Ones,
Laurie Macdonald Director,
Florida Program Defenders of Wildlife
