On a bright Wednesday morning, the Santa Cruz Wharf became a gathering place for hope, unity, and resolve. Local leaders, environmental advocates, and community members came together to make one thing clear: our coast is not for sale.
The event, organized in response to newly leaked federal documents suggesting the Trump administration’s plans to reopen the Pacific Coast to oil and mineral drilling, echoed a familiar fight from decades past.
Santa Cruz Mayor, Fred Keeley, reminded the crowd that this isn’t the first time California’s coast has been under threat. In the 1980s, a grassroots movement of cities, counties, and coastal advocates rose up to block federal drilling proposals–creating what became known as the state’s “blue wall” of protection.
“The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary did not get established so a few decades later, they could dot it with oil rigs,” Keeley said. “All environmental victories are temporary, and all environmental losses are permanent.”
That intergenerational call to action was echoed by state Sen. John Laird, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, and Santa Cruz County Supervisor Justin Cummings, who each emphasized that this moment demands renewed vigilance and collaboration across California’s coastal communities.
The leaked documents, first reported by the Houston Chronicle, revealed that the administration’s upcoming Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program would open vast stretches of the Pacific to drilling as soon as 2027, and, alarmingly, could eliminate environmental review and public comment.
Rep. Panetta and others vowed to oppose any attempts to weaken public protections or undermine the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County have already reaffirmed their opposition to offshore oil drilling, joining a regional coalition of coastal governments led in part by Save Our Shores. The coalition is now reaching out to every coastal county in California to rebuild the powerful network that once stopped drilling in its tracks.
Vice Mayor Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson summed it up perfectly: “This is about solidarity. It’s about standing shoulder-to-shoulder to protect what cannot be replaced.”
Morganna Johnson, Policy Committee Co-Coordinator with the Surfrider Foundation in Santa Cruz, added to that unified front, emphasizing the vital connection between a healthy ocean and our community’s identity and economy:
“Stopping new offshore drilling is really a top priority for the Surfrider Foundation, and especially for our Chapter in Santa Cruz, because our Nation’s oceans, waves, and beaches are really irreplaceable assets that fuel our local economy. It supports marine life and defines our way of life here in Santa Cruz.
"The offshore drilling proposal is a really dangerous practice. It has the potential to pollute our waters, harm wildlife, and it threatens local economies, recreation, the fishing industry, and really, industries that sustain our coastal communities. We stand with our local leaders in demanding a permanent ban on the new offshore drilling plan, and we encourage a full transition towards clean renewable energy sources.”
While the administration’s plan has yet to be finalized, the threat is real–and so is our resolve. As former Save Our Shores Director Dan Haifley reminded attendees, oil spills don’t respect sanctuary boundaries. Protecting Monterey Bay means defending it at every level–local, state, and federal.
Now, it’s our turn. This is a pivotal moment for our coast, our communities, and our planet.
It’s time to stand up, speak out, and put an end to new offshore drilling.
Urge Congress to Protect our Coasts.