News Release: December 17, 2025
Contact: Haley Ehlers – haley@cfrog.org, (805)263-7408
Ventura County Board of Supervisors, youth, and advocates call on state and federal leaders to permanently prohibit offshore oil and gas leasing and deep seabed mining
Ventura – Yesterday, by unanimous vote, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in opposition to any new or expanded offshore oil and gas leasing and deep seabed mining off the Ventura County coastline. Ventura County joins over 100 West Coast governments in opposition to offshore drilling, including San Diego and Santa Cruz counties who also passed updated resolutions in the last few weeks.
Supervisors Vianey Lopez and Matt LaVere, representing the Oxnard and Ventura coasts, respectively, introduced the resolution, which also includes a directive for the county to participate in the Local Government Outer Continental Shelf Coordination Program.
This coordination program will allow Ventura County to work collaboratively with other coastal jurisdictions to protect California coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems from offshore oil and gas leasing.
“As a coastal county, we recognize the importance of protecting our resources,” said District 5 Supervisor Lopez during the hearing. “It’s about recreation, it’s about access, and it’s about our environment. And not to mention that there are huge economic drivers that rely on our coast. We can’t forget that we have a thriving port, a naval base, and many tourists who visit the Channel Islands National Park.”
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s 11th National Offshore Leasing Program looks to propose 34 offshore oil lease sales through 2031, including six off the California coast. These would be the first federal oil and gas lease sales along the Pacific coast since 1984.
“We applaud Ventura County for taking a stand against dangerous offshore oil development,” said Maggie Hall, Deputy Chief Counsel at the Environmental Defense Center. “Offshore drilling threatens our coastline, wildlife, communities, and economy, and only exacerbates the climate crisis.”
The Central Coast is no stranger to the threats of offshore oil and gas drilling. Massive oil spills in 1969 and 2015 off the coast of Santa Barbara fouled coastal waters across the region and caused catastrophic economic and environmental damage.
Significant portions of the proposed leasing intersect with biologically diverse landscapes, vital water sources, cultural and recreational lands, and densely populated coastal communities.
A handful of residents and advocates spoke in appreciation and favor of the resolution.
“As someone whose family depends on the fishing industry, I know firsthand what’s at stake” Cesar Campos, youth leader at Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas (CFROG), shared during public comment. “My future, and the future of other potential minds in Ventura depend on these industries. […] Protecting our environment means protecting our jobs, our families, and our future.”