Dear NRDC Activist,

There's nowhere on Earth quite like Big Cypress National Preserve, in the heart of Florida's Everglades.

This irreplaceable natural gem is home to 730,000 acres of critical wetlands, cypress forests, mangroves, and other ecosystems that are an important source of freshwater for the Everglades and that remove climate-busting carbon from the atmosphere.

These lands are also vital to Indigenous tribes and serve as critical habitat for the endangered Florida panther, one of the most endangered mammals on earth with fewer than 200 remaining in the wild.

Yet the Burnett Oil Company is forging ahead with a plan to rip up this one-of-a-kind natural preserve so it can extract oil, causing irreversible destruction — to the land, water, wildlife, and our climate.

But first, the company must secure permits from the National Park Service to access the preserve — and it's critical that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland direct that agency to reject its permits so we can protect this vital ecosystem and move away from dirty fossil fuel extraction and toward a clean energy future.

We need 30,000 NRDC supporters to demand that Secretary Haaland protect Big Cypress and endangered Florida panthers from the dangers of climate-wrecking oil drilling. Will you send a letter today?

After you've sent your letter, please consider making a special tax-deductible gift to help power NRDC's fight to protect Big Cypress and other critical ecosystems. Right now, every $1 will be matched for the impact of $5, up to our $50,000 goal — meaning your support right now goes FIVE TIMES as far!

If Burnett Oil gets its way, Big Cypress will be transformed into an industrial sacrifice zone, forever scarred with drill pads, oil wells, roads, and other infrastructure prone to spills and leaks, including oil, drilling fluids, and potentially other toxic materials.

Vital wetlands would be filled in, magnificent namesake cypress trees would be cut down, and lush cypress swamps and marsh could become a thing of the past. Roads to access oil wells will plow deep into the unspoiled backcountry, putting wildlife at risk for vehicle collisions.

Habitat for the highly endangered Florida panther and other wildlife will be irreparably altered as their homes are destroyed, increasing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.

Also, drilling for oil in places like Big Cypress will only increase our dependence on fossil fuels at a time when we need to invest in the clean energy resources of the future.

This won't take long and it will make a big difference. Send your letter to Secretary Haaland and demand that she act immediately to save Big Cypress from the clutches of Big Oil.

We can't let Big Oil plunder this precious wild ecosystem — especially at a time when we're facing both an extinction crisis and a climate crisis. It's more vital than ever to protect places like Big Cypress.

Secretary Haaland has championed President Biden's commitment to protect our last wild places, defend the rights of Indigenous People, and tackle the climate crisis head on. Let her know there are thousands of us counting on her to do the right thing and reject Burnett Oil's plan to drill in Big Cypress.

Thank you for taking action today to protect this vital ecosystem and precious habitat from being ransacked for climate-wrecking oil.

Sincerely,

Alison Kelly
Senior Attorney, Dirty Energy, Lands Division, Nature Program, NRDC