So Soon, Federal Proposals Threaten California’s Coast Once Again

A huge thank you to everyone who spoke out against the Trump administration’s offshore drilling plan. During the last public comment period that just closed on January 23rd, over 270,000 people nationwide urged the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to protect our coasts.

However, the fight isn’t over.

BOEM has opened a new 30-day comment period allowing oil and gas companies to nominate potential drilling sites along the Central and Southern California coast, including waters off Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. This signals a serious and immediate threat to our coastline.

Take Action Now

The public can still push to exclude these areas from future leasing—but time is limited.

1) Submit a public comment to BOEM opposing offshore drilling, focusing on:

• Use conflicts (fishing, boating, recreation, research)

• Sensitive areas and protected habitats

• Coastal economies and community impacts

• Environmental and biological factors

• Cultural and archaeological sites

2) Contact your members of Congress and urge them to stop this dangerous offshore drilling plan from moving forward.

🗓 Comment deadline: February 26, 2026

Please submit comments for both the Central and Southern California planning areas before the deadline:

• BOEM Comment Period: Central California OCS Oil & Gas Leasing (deadline is 2/26/26)

• BOEM Comment Period: Southern California OCS Oil & Gas Leasing (deadline is 2/26/26)

The following maps show proposed offshore drilling areas along the California coast:

Together, we can continue to defend California’s coast and keep offshore drilling out of our waters.