When federal agencies began moving quickly this year to expand offshore oil and gas drilling and advance permits for deep-sea mining, counties up and down the California coast faced a common challenge with limited opportunities for public input.
On Nov. 4, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted to take a proactive stand. The Board approved a resolution opposing offshore drilling and deep seabed mining, and agreed to join a revived coalition of California coastal jurisdictions working together to protect the state’s shoreline.
The move came in response to two federal executive orders signed earlier this year – the Unleashing American Energy Act in January and the Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources order in April. Both actions encouraged expanded offshore drilling and deep-sea mining, activities that could threaten fisheries, tourism, visitor-serving industries and the broader coastal economy. Today (Nov. 20), the Trump administration put them into action, announcing plans to allow new oil and gas drilling across nearly 1.3 billion acres of U.S. coastal waters, including California.
The Board authorized $30,000 to support the Local Governments Outer Continental Shelf Coordination Program, which was formed in the 1980s and reestablished this year by Santa Cruz County. The initiative will be coordinated by longtime coastal advocate Richard Charter, a Bodega Bay resident and senior fellow with The Ocean Foundation. Participating jurisdictions receive regular briefings, coordinated advocacy with Congress and federal agencies, and science-based communication tools designed to help local governments respond quickly to emerging offshore proposals.
“Sonoma County has a long history of protecting the coast, and we will continue to fight to keep oil slicks and fossil fuel infrastructure from touching our shores,” said Board Chair Lynda Hopkins, who will represent Sonoma County on the program. “These new federal proposals threaten our environment and our economy. I’m proud to be part of a local government coalition that will stand together and fight back against offshore drilling.”
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