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The Federal Government is banning drilling off Florida’s coast for the next seven years. Today the White House announced no new oil leases would be written in federal waters surround Florida’s coast until 2017. The extended ban is partly the result of the BP oil spill which pumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf Coast. Governor Charlie Crist is praising efforts from the White House to prevent another spill.

“I was very pleased to get that report. I think the administration needs to be credited again for trying to protect Florida’s beaches. As I mentioned earlier today, just last night I was in Palm Beach County at a tourist development council reception and that back drop is only appropriate because continuing to protect our beaches, to be clean and green as we go forward as a state and a nation, that’s only good for Florida because we depend on tourism and agriculture and the cleaner we can be the better,” said Crist.

Audubon of Florida says the ban gives the government time to uncover the true impact of BP spill before making permanent decisions about drilling.

“We won’t know what the effect have been from the Deep Water Horizon Spill for years to come so it makes sense to assess that before we even consider messing with a moratorium in the Eastern Gulf,” said Audubon Spokeswoman Julie Wraithmell.

The ban is in federal waters. A ban in state waters which run 10 miles off the coast is still in effect. State lawmakers were once poised to open it up to drilling rigs, now say it’s off limits