April Reese’s analysis of the leasing protest game
told a story familiar in California as well as the Intermountain
West (HCN,
3/31/08)
Recently, Los Padres ForestWatch, in
partnership with rural landowners, protested a lease sale of more
than 20,000 acres adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest.
Later, all but one of the parcels were re-offered for lease with an
inadequate Environmental Assessment. ForestWatch re-protested.
After a lawsuit was settled in our favor, the BLM upheld our
protest and revoked the controversial leases, about half the
original acreage. The BLM stated that it would again attempt to
offer up the leases, but for the last two years we’ve successfully
prevented any attempts to open up these ecologically critical lands
to runaway oil development. We remain vigilant, keeping an eye as
well on a plan that would open up 52,000 acres of the Los Padres
National Forest to oil drilling.
The wide-open spaces,
rural communities and resource struggles just inland from the
southern and central coast of California have more in common with
Wyoming and Utah than Malibu. And while the number of acres
affected might not rise to the levels of the interior states, the
habitats here are extraordinarily diverse and threatened. We deeply
appreciate it when HCN includes California when it covers issues
that show our common struggles.
Jeff Kuyper, Los Padres
ForestWatch Executive Director
Brad Monsma, Los Padres
ForestWatch Board President
Santa Barbara,
California
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline California protestin’.
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