On December 15, 2025, Friends of the Everglades submitted a formal letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management opposing plans to open the Eastern Gulf of America to offshore oil and gas leasing. The letter outlines the serious risks drilling poses to Everglades restoration, coastal ecosystems and the millions of Floridians who depend on them — and urged federal leaders to protect this one-of-a-kind place before irreversible harm is done.
