Deadline today, March 13, 2026 to comment to the Bureau of Land Management to stop proposed opening up of California lands to oil development.
In January 2026, the Trump administration released plans to open more than 1 million acres of public lands and mineral rights to oil and gas drilling and fracking in Southern California and the Central Valley, Central Coast and Bay Area.
Draft environmental impact statements and resource management plans from the Bureau of Land Management would allow new fossil fuel extraction across eight counties under the Bakersfield Field Office: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura. The Central Coast plan would allow drilling across another 10 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Joaquin.
Send a comment to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and let them know you OPPOSE any increased oil drilling. Your comments to the agency will become part of the official public record. Draft letter below.
The agency calls for new ease sales in the Bay Area, which currently has no offshore oil rigs. The federal government has not offered new leases off the California coast since 1984.
Now, the BLM is proposing to open up more of southern California and the Central Valley to oil and gas drilling, including in areas adjacent to Sequoia National Park and Carrizo Plain National Monument.
Additionally, the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) has proposed to expand offshore drilling along the entire California coast and elsewhere with no exclusions for national marine sanctuaries. The public comment period is now closed. The U.S. has been a net oil exporter since 2020, and hit an all-time high of domestic oil production in 2024. New oil and gas leasing is not needed to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Draft Letter
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Date]
Bureau of Land Management
[Relevant Field Office Address – e.g., Central Coast Field Office]
[City, State, Zip Code]
RE: Opposition to Proposed Oil and Gas Leasing on California Public Lands (Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement)
Dear BLM Field Manager,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposal to open over 1 million acres of public land and mineral rights in California to oil and gas drilling and fracking. This proposed plan is a reckless step backward that prioritizes corporate profits over the health, safety, and environmental integrity of California’s communities and natural landscapes.
Threats to Public Health and Environment
Expanding drilling in California is a grave danger to our health and our planet. Oil and gas development, particularly hydraulic fracturing (fracking), releases volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and toxic air pollution. The communities closest to these proposed sites are already disproportionately exposed to pollution and have some of the highest health vulnerabilities in the state. Allowing more drilling increases the risks of asthma, heart disease, lung disease, and cancer for California residents.
Furthermore, the proposed leasing areas encompass critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the San Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, and California condor. Drilling activity will fragment essential wildlife corridors and risk contamination of groundwater and air in irreplaceable ecosystems.
Destruction of Protected Landscapes
It is deeply concerning that this plan places critical public lands near Bay Area parks and other sensitive habitats at risk. These areas are meant to be a refuge for wildlife and public enjoyment, not industrial sacrifice zones for the fossil fuel industry. Furthermore, this proposal directly undermines California’s efforts to enforce safety setbacks, such as SB 1137, which prohibits new drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, and parks.
The Need for Renewable Energy Alternatives
As California is already leading the transition away from fossil fuels, federal agencies should not be pushing to lock us into a dirty energy future. In 2024, California achieved a historic milestone with over 57% of its electricity generated by renewable resources. We have the capacity and the necessity to accelerate solar, wind, and battery storage development, rather than investing in polluting fossil fuel infrastructure.
Conclusion
The BLM should be focused on protecting public lands, not exploiting them for short-term gains that leave us with long-term climate damage and toxic pollution. I urge the BLM to reconsider this misguided plan, rescind the proposal to expand drilling, and instead prioritize the transition to clean, renewable energy.
Thank you for your time and for accepting these comments.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City]
TBureau of Land Management he BLM is expected to review the public comments received through March 2026 and issue a final decision by July 2026.If approved, this would pave the way for the first federal oil and gas lease sales in these regions in years.