FOR RELEASE:  July 7, 1994                CONTACT:   Lee Scurry
                                                 (202) 208-3983

    MMS SIGNS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA
(#40051)

     The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service
(MMS) has signed a new cooperative agreement with the Florida
Geological Survey to study sand resources along Florida's central
east coast, MMS officials announced today.

     "MMS is dedicated to assisting states in locating sand on the
federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for the restoration and
preservation of coastal beaches and adjacent wetlands," said MMS
Director Tom Fry.  "This agreement allows us an excellent
opportunity to work with Florida in identifying sand resources
suitable for their beach nourishment projects."

     Similar efforts to evaluate marine mineral resources in
federal waters have been initiated with all other states on the
East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.  As with MMS' other cooperative
programs, the focus is on the assessment of selected sand deposits,
and the evaluation of environmental, engineering and economic
aspects related to sand extraction and placement.

     MMS awarded the state $92,955 to conduct the one-year study.

     MMS administers federal offshore mineral programs and manages
the federal and Indian mineral royalty program.  The MMS Office of
International Activities and Marine Minerals (INTERMAR) is
responsible for the management of OCS sand resources.  For more
information contact INTERMAR at (703) 787-1300.

                              -MMS-

Subject: PR-07/07/94 Florida\MMS Signs Cooperative Agreement with
the State of Florida (#40051)