Sander Kushen, sander.kushen@sierraclub.org
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management announced 30-day comment periods for massive expansions of oil drilling on federal lands in Central and Central Coast California. The announcements come as a part of President Trump's aggressive "Unleashing American Energy" agenda.
Over 400,000 acres of public land across Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura counties are being considered for oil and gas leasing and development. The announcement follows a federal moratorium on new oil and gas drilling in Central California that had been in place since 2022.
Approximately 284,000 acres of additional public land in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties are also being considered for oil and gas leasing and development.
In response, Mercedes Aguilar, Senior Campaign Strategist for Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign, released the following statement:
“Allowing this massive drilling expansion would be a huge loss to Californians, decimating the landscapes we use to hike, fish, hunt and explore. What’s more, this drilling expansion would put families at increased risk of asthma, cancer and other health issues—all linked to the toxic air pollution from oil and gas drilling sites. We can—and must—maintain energy independence and a strong economy without digging up protected lands and polluting the air we breathe.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.