Anonymous
Source: Los Padres ForestWatch
[Tuesday], Santa Barbara County Supervisors approved and adopted a resolution “opposing the leasing of federal public lands in Santa Barbara County for oil and gas development as part of the Bureau of Land Management’s Resource Management Plan.”
The resolution was sponsored by First District County Supervisor Gregg Hart in response to the Trump Administration’s plan to open more than one million acres of lands throughout the coastal and interior regions of central California to new oil drilling and fracking. The drilling and fracking plan would end a 5-year moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands in California.
Within days, the Trump Administration is expected to finalize a study that will initiate the opening of federal lands and mineral estate across eight counties, including 122,000 acres in Santa Barbara County in or adjacent to Los Padres National Forest, school campuses, Lake Cachuma, Jalama Beach, Refugio Pass, Ken Adam Park, Drum Canyon, Nojoqui County Park, Vandenberg Air Force Base, the City of Lompoc, and more.
In anticipation of the proposal’s impacts to local resources, the Cities of San Luis Obispo and Ojai passed similar resolutions over the summer, and the City of Carpinteria is expected to consider one later this month. Over the weekend, the Governor took steps to oppose the plan with the signing of AB 342, a law that bars the construction of pipelines or other oil and gas infrastructure to be built on state property to serve federal oil leases.
“Santa Barbara County residents and visitors alike recognize the value of preserving and protecting our federal public lands for generations to come,” said Supervisor Gregg Hart. “This morning, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to protect our natural environment by opposing the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to open up federal public lands in our region for new oil and gas projects”
Jeff Kuyper and Rebecca August with Los Padres ForestWatch received the resolution. “We applaud our elected leaders who are stepping up to do what they can to protect public health, clean water, and our environment,” said Executive Director Kuyper. “This plan threatens our region’s most iconic places, Los Padres National Forest, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Sequoia National Park, Montaña de Oro, the Pacific Crest Trail and others. It’s critical that agencies use all available tools to protect these community resources as well as wildlife habitat.”
Bravo, Supes!
Trump is selling out our environment along with our world allies.
I wonder if he’s having his kids invest in all the major oil & gas companies that are ready to rape the California landscape. “Sad”
Groovy! Good for our Supes.
You might want to consider where the money for the County will come from if you strangle energy production. Gotta come from SOMEWHERE. Or, just lay off teachers , firefighters and cops. Your choice. Maybe you think Cannabis will make it up? Guess again, already a glut, with illegal producers going big-time, untaxed.
The local oil industry reps should be tarred and feathered. Nobody believes a word they say and no amount of token nonprofit donations can buy them respect.