BOEM is seeking public input on a draft offshore drilling plan covering 2026–2031.
The proposal includes new drilling areas near Florida’s Gulf Coast and Eglin AFB.
Patronis is urging Floridians to submit comments before the January 23 deadline.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jimmy Patronis is urging Floridians to make their voices heard as federal officials consider a sweeping new plan that could open large portions of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling for the first time in decades.
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is accepting public comment on its draft offshore leasing plan for 2026 through 2031. The comment period closes January 23, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. CST.
“It is our right to share our concerns and perspectives, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s responsibility to listen to what we have to say,” Patronis said. “I encourage all my constituents to let their voices be heard during the comment period.”
As currently proposed, the draft plan includes expansive new drilling areas off Florida’s Gulf Coast, including locations roughly 100 miles east of the Military Mission Line beginning in 2029. Those waters, near Eglin Air Force Base, have long been closed to new oil exploration due to sensitive munitions testing conducted in the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range.
For drilling sales to move forward in 2029, the existing federal ban would need to be rescinded, and BOEM would have to finalize the planning area. Federal officials are required to seek public input before any such decision is made, making the current comment period the first of several opportunities for residents, local leaders, and stakeholders to weigh in.
Floridians may submit comments through BOEM’s online portal, review the official notice, or send written correspondence by mail as part of the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
Online Portal Submission:
https://www.regulations.gov
Comments may also be submitted by mail to:
11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program
Attn: Ms. Kelly Hammerle
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD)
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, VA 20166-9216
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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