The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comment on proposed updates to how oil and gas leasing and development are managed on public lands across a large portion of California’s Central Coast and inland regions.
The proposed changes would apply to public lands in Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, as well as portions of Fresno, Merced and San Joaquin counties. The BLM said the updates are intended to guide future decisions related to oil and gas leasing and development on federal lands and federal mineral estates in those areas.
The effort is being carried out in alignment with Secretary’s Order 3418, which supports President Trump’s call to “Unleash American Energy.”
As part of the public review process, the BLM will host a virtual public meeting from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Pacific time on Jan. 29.
The meeting will be held via Zoom and will focus on the draft management plan. Members of the public are required to register in advance to participate.
Details about the proposal, along with meeting registration information, are available through the BLM National NEPA Register at https://eplanning.blm.gov. The project’s NEPA number is DOI-BLM-CA-C090-2025-0017-EIS.
Public comments may also be submitted online through the register’s “Participate Now” option. The public comment period will remain open until March 6.
The BLM Central Coast Field Office oversees approximately 284,000 acres of public land and administers an additional 509,000 acres of federal mineral estate in central California. According to the agency, federal oil and natural gas production in California accounts for an average of about 8% to 10% of the state’s total oil and gas output.
BLM officials said public input will help inform final decisions on how oil and gas resources are managed while balancing development with environmental stewardship and multiple land uses.
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The Bureau of Land Management oversees more than 245 million acres of public land, primarily across 12 western states and Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The agency also manages approximately 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate nationwide. Its mission is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
TOP PHOTO: An oil drilling rig off the coast of Santa Barbara.