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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOil-GasLeasingProgram_LtrToBOEM_Opposition_20180306Office of the City Council 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 805.781.7114 slocity.org March 6, 2018 Ms. Kelly Hammerle National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Manager Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD) 45600 Woodland Road Sterling, VA 20166-9216 RE: 2018-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program Notice of OPPOSITION Ms. Hammerle: On behalf of my colleagues on the City Council and our 45,000 residents, I am writing to oppose the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (Five -Year Plan). It is of the utmost importance to protect the sensitive ecosystems on the East and West Coasts and parts of the Arctic from oil and gas development. Those marine ecosystems support millions of jobs in tourism, recreation, and fishing sectors, which are responsible for generating billions in GDP. In California, the transition away from fossil fuels to a thriving renewable energy economy is well underway. As part of its legislative platform, the City of San Luis Obispo opposes expansion of existing or new gas leases off the Coast of San Luis Obispo County. We stand together with other elected officials in the California State Legislature, The California Fish and Game Commission, The California State Lands Commission and The California Coastal Commission. The California Legislator has led the nation with its landmark climate change legislation, the Global Warning Solutions Act in 2006, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction act of 2015 and SB 32 in 2016. Consistent with those laws, we support any and all efforts to oppose new or expanded fossil fuel extraction on the California coast and ocean. We understand the introduction of the President's Executive Order 13795 (April 28, 2017) has caused Secretary Zinke to issue Secretarial Order 3350 (May 1, 2017) instructing BOEM to initiate a process to develop a new National OCS Program for 2019-2024 that would supersede the 2017-2022 Program. We believe that an expansion of this Five -Year Plan would be detrimental to the sensitive ecosystems that would be impacted by the potential forty-seven lease sales in twenty-five of the twenty-six planning areas. With six new leases off the coast of California alone, we believe it is of the utmost importance to oppose the 2019-2024 Five -Year Plan. There has not been a new or expanded lease in California waters since 1969 because of decades of united, bipartisan opposition to increased offshore oil and gas drilling. We ask you to stand with us, our Governor, and millions of California residents in upholding the current ban on oil and gas lease sales on the West Coast. Sincerely, Heidi Harmon Mayor City of San Luis Obispo