Conservationists are celebrating after President Biden announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Matt Depaolis with Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation said this is good news for our environment and our tourism industry.
"So the more that we can do to bolster our natural resources, to protect our environment, and to boost our tourism to these areas, the more we're going to see that Florida is going to be strong moving into the future," said Matt Depaolis.
Biden's move is mostly symbolic since it will not affect areas where oil and gas development is already underway.
Instead, it mainly applies to regions like the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where drillers don’t see much potential.
However, Depaolis says preventing companies from creating new drill operations will prevent future oil spills.
"When we think of these super deep water wells that have the potential to have a large spill, that's something we absolutely need to avoid in Florida," said Depaolis.
He says those major disasters can have a ripple effect through our entire state.
In 2020, then-President Trump banned sales of offshore drilling rights in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off the Coast of Florida through 2032.
Biden's decision will protect the same area with no expiration.
Still, the Trump team criticized Biden's announcement Monday and said he plans to reverse the ban immediately when he takes office.