We are a forest group, but sometimes we get moved to work on issues a little outside of our normal stomping grounds. In January, Interior Secretary Zinke proposed issuing 47 new offshore oil leases—including two from Mendocino to Del Norte. The thought of oil derricks off our shore (and oil spilling onto our coast) moved EPIC to act!
EPIC has teamed with Humboldt Baykeeper and the Northcoast Environmental Center to take on any proposed offshore oil drilling. Together, our organizations have pledged that we will fight any attempt to open offshore oil and gas development. As we stated in our open letter:
The Trump administration announced that it would open offshore oil drilling for nearly all continental waters in the United States, including here along our North Coast. Trump will have to go through us first. Our organizations, the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), Humboldt Baykeeper, and the Northcoast Environmental Center, pledge that we will do everything in our power to fight offshore oil and gas development in Northern California.
We are proud to report that we’ve made progress. On Tuesday, February 27, 2017, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors issued a formal resolution opposing offshore oil and gas developing. What’s more, the Board of Supervisors have pledged to work with the California Coastal Commission to redo our “Local Coastal Plan” to ban all onshore support facilities for offshore oil as well.
EPIC would like to thank the Board of Supervisors, particularly Supervisor Mike Wilson, for taking a leadership role on this issue.