ForestWatch united with rural landowners to protect our forest—and their homes—from fossil fuel development. Joining with Cuyama Valley residents, we protected more than 10,000 acres from a controversial oil lease sale in 2006. For decades, the Bureau of Land Management auctioned off plots of public land to oil companies without considering whether the lands were environmentally suitable for development. By teaming with landowners, we convinced officials to cancel the lease sale. These efforts also prompted a statewide change: federal regulators now prepare environmental assessments prior to leasing lands for drilling in California. No federal lands adjacent to the forest have been placed on the auction block since then.
In 2007, Upper Lopez Canyon residents contacted ForestWatch for assistance after oil companies began knocking on their doors in this rural area of San Luis Obispo County. We brought canyon residents together, telling the oil industry with a unified voice that drilling was not acceptable. Faced with immense pressure, the companies left without drilling a single well in this tranquil canyon.
In 2014, the Ventura County Planning Commission reopened a long-abandoned oil field adjacent to Los Padres National Forest near Lake Piru. We appealed the decision to the County Board of Supervisors, and on the eve of the hearing, the oil company withdrew the project.
In 2018, ForestWatch defeated an attempt to eliminate the public’s right to participate in oil drilling and fracking decisions throughout Ventura County. By preserving this cornerstone of democracy, people can continue to have a voice in protecting our public lands and surrounding communities from pollution.
