President Donald Trump is increasing efforts to expand oil drilling in the United States, with new plans targeting California. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed opening nearly 2 million acres from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area for drilling and fracking, including areas near national parks, coastlines, and residential zones.
Previously, legal challenges from environmental groups and the state halted Trump’s attempts to open these lands for fossil fuel development, citing inadequate environmental reviews, particularly concerning fracking. Some experts view the renewed efforts as largely symbolic, but others express concern.
“They think they’ve addressed the fracking issues, and now they’re pushing forward,” said Cooper Kass, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), which previously sued over the reviews. The BLM has not commented on the proposal.
The administration initially aimed to open 1.2 million acres managed by BLM’s Bakersfield office and 800,000 acres managed by the Central Coast office in 2019. The lands consist of both BLM-managed public lands and split estates, where the federal government owns subsurface mineral rights.
Environmental groups, including CBD, Los Padres ForestWatch, and the Sierra Club, along with entities like Patagonia and the state of California, sued over the environmental reviews. These lawsuits claimed that the analyses underestimated fracking impacts, habitat fragmentation, air emissions, and potential drilling with advanced technologies.
Though 4,000 acres in Kern County were auctioned in 2020, further development was blocked by additional lawsuits. Settlements in 2022 required the BLM to conduct new environmental analyses, released Monday, which propose moving forward with the 2019 designs.
“They’re sticking with their previous decisions,” said Kass. The Central Coast office’s analysis permits new drilling in several counties, noting “minor” impacts to air and water quality, and to endangered species like the foothill yellow-legged frog.
The Bakersfield office analysis also found no need for change, maintaining the 2014 proposal to open over 1 million acres for drilling, which formed the basis for the 2019 plan.
The plan might allow drilling near Carrizo Plain National Monument and Pinnacles National Park, according to CBD. Los Padres ForestWatch has mapped potential impacts of the Bakersfield office areas, highlighting leasing risks near Los Padres National Forest and the Pacific Crest Trail.
“This proposal threatens the Central Coast’s cherished lands and water sources,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch.
Whether fossil fuel development will occur depends on the outcome of a public comment period ending March 6, with a BLM decision expected by July 2026.
“BLM has a chance to reconsider,” said Victoria Bogdan Tejeda, another CBD attorney. “We’ve sued in the past due to legal violations, and we’ll closely evaluate their final decision.”
Critics note the analysis fails to consider recent California laws, like banning fracking and requiring oil wells to be at least 3,200 feet from schools and homes. The Trump administration has opposed these laws in court.
New studies highlight public health impacts from oil production, which Michelle Ghafar, an attorney with Earthjustice, states were ignored in the BLM’s analysis.
There’s skepticism about industry interest due to low oil prices and the challenges of extracting from California’s aging fields. The Western States Petroleum Association called the plan a “common-sense proposal for energy dominance,” although analysts doubt significant interest in new leases.
“California’s heavy oil fields and regulatory environment make it difficult for new players,” said analyst Matt Woodson of Wood Mackenzie. BLM lands in Kern County might attract interest due to existing infrastructure, but it’s unclear how many companies will pursue development.
Antoine Halff, chief analyst at Kayrros, likened the situation to Venezuela, noting potential political and infrastructural risks that may deter investment.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org