The federal government is continuing its plan to expand oil and gas drilling in Central California, including production on public lands, parks, beaches and wildlife habitats.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a new study on Jan. 13 that could open 850,000 acres of land across the state to a new oil and gas leasing program. The program will allow drilling and fracking on previously protected land, including in Santa Barbara and surrounding counties.
If the plan is approved later this year, around 400,000 acres in Santa Barbara County could be eligible for drilling, including up to 100,000 acres of land around Vandenberg Village.
Surrounding areas like Lake Cachuma, Nojoqui Falls County Park and waterways such as the Sisquoc River could also be affected, according to Los Padres ForestWatch, a group that works to protect land within the Los Padres National Forest.
Other areas that could be impacted include the Carpinteria Foothills, the Santa Ynez Mountains, and the Lompoc Valley.
The public comment period for the BLM draft plan ends March 6.
Los Padres ForestWatch Executive Director Jeff Kuyper criticized the plan and said opening public lands to drilling and fracking threatens the environment and drinking water sources.
“At a time when California has taken steps to move away from fossil fuels, the Trump administration is advancing a plan that would open hundreds of thousands of acres to drilling and fracking — raising serious concerns about risks to public lands and nearby communities,” Kuyper said.
New Drilling Proposed in the Pacific Ocean
The BLM study comes after the announcement that President Donald Trump’s administration wants to provide new leases for oil drilling off the California coast and other offshore areas.
The Department of the Interior announced in November that it planned to repeal a ban on offshore drilling that would have run into 2029. It revealed the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
If the plan moves forward, up to 34 offshore lease sales could happen in the next five years along the coasts of California, Alaska, Texas and other states along the Gulf of Mexico.
These sales could begin as soon as 2027, according to Maggie Hall, the deputy chief counsel for the Environmental Defense Center (EDC).
Affected areas could include the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, and federal and state Marine Protected Areas.
“Unfortunately, and over the objection of EDC and thousands of commenters, the draft program includes the entire Pacific with six lease sales to occur in 2027, 2029 and 2030,” Hall said. “Three of those to occur in our region, which is designated as the Southern California program area.”
Hall talked about the plan to open the Pacific Ocean to new drilling during a Friday event hosted by the Community Environmental Council (CEC) at the CEC’s Environmental Hub.
The meeting included Congressman Salud Carbajal, State Senator Monique Limón, Assemblymember Gregg Hart and local politicians. Actor Ted Danson was also in attendance, representing the environmental advocacy group Oceana, where he sits on the Board of Directors.
Hall stated that beyond the risk to the environment, the economy and local tourism, resuming oil and gas production threatens the health of local tribal areas and the drinking water supply. It also creates noise pollution.
“Of course, one of our chief concerns is the threat of another catastrophic oil spill,” Hall said. “Which (could cause) immediate and long-lasting harm to wildlife, coastlines, fisheries, and could result in extensive economic damage.”
If the leases are approved, they would be the first ones issued since 1984, according to Hall.
The first oil platforms in the Pacific Ocean were installed between 1967 and 1989 in federal waters, 4 to 10 miles offshore.
“The first major disaster occurred in 1969,” Hall said. “The well blowout at Platform A in Santa Barbara sent an estimated 3 million gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, devastating wildlife, marine ecosystems and tourism.”
Another oil spill occurred in 2015 near Refugio State Beach, dumping crude oil into the shoreline and ocean. Hall said recent estimates put the cleanup cost at $800 million.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has opened a 60-day public comment period where residents can share their opinions on the offshore drilling plan. That comment period ends on Friday.