Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Jackie Speier, District 1
Supervisor Ray Mueller, District 3
Subject: MOU with County of Santa Cruz Regarding Financial Support for the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution:
A) Supporting a regional effort to oppose proposed federal offshore oil drilling through County participation in the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort initiated by the County of Santa Cruz; and
B) Authorizing and directing the County Executive Officer, or designee(s), to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Santa Cruz to provide $20,000 in funding for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 towards a contract between the County of Santa Cruz and Richard Charter for the provision of technical assistance and other professional coordination services in furtherance of the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort; and
C) Authorizing and directing the County Executive Officer, or designee(s), to coordinate the County’s participation in the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, and to return to the Board to report on those activities and to receive further Board direction regarding the County’s participation in the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort beyond Fiscal Year 2025-2026; and
D) Authorizing the Board President to send a letter to County of Santa Cruz Third District Supervisor Justin Cummings regarding the Board’s participation in the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort.
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BACKGROUND:
The Outer Continental Shelf (OSC) is part of the internationally recognized continental shelf of the United States lying outside the jurisdictions of individual states. In the 1980’s, several California coastal local agencies helped form the Central Coast Outer Continental Shelf Regional Studies Program to coordinate science, policy and public engagement on OCS proposals, strengthening the case that drilling threatened coastal economies and resources. This effort led to establishment of several marine sanctuaries, including the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
In early 2025, the U.S. Department of Interior’s announced the initiation of a process to develop a new schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales on the OCS pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” which seeks to “maximize” the production of domestic development of oil and gas. This leasing program could result in the federal government offering new areas of the OCS along California’s coast to the offshore drilling industry, even within the boundaries of National Marine Sanctuaries.
On July 10, 2025, Supervisor Speier and Supervisor Mueller sent a letter of comment to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which manages development of the OCS, expressing their opposition to drilling for oil and gas off the coast of San Mateo County and restating their support for the permanent protection of areas off the County’s coast.
A recent San Francisco Chronicle article noted that the Trump administration continues to study the opening of essentially all federal waters off California’s coast for oil and gas development.
If the Trump administration has its way, oil rigs could soon start drilling along the entire California coast, according to documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle <https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/offshore-leasing-trump-interior-houston-oil-alaska-21112497.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91c3RvbmNocm9uaWNsZS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvZW5lcmd5L2FydGljbGUvb2Zmc2hvcmUtbGVhc2luZy10cnVtcC1pbnRlcmlvci1ob3VzdG9uLW9pbC1hbGFza2EtMjExMTI0OTcucGhw&time=MTc2MTI0MzkxOTAwNw%3D%3D&rid=Nzg4YzcxNjAtODE3MS00YWI0LWI3NzUtN2U1MjU4MzQ4ZTg2&sharecount=MA%3D%3D>. Drilling could take place in the pristine waters off of Sonoma County and Big Sur, and theoretically even near the Golden Gate, if the administration were to find a way to bypass national marine sanctuary protections. (San Francisco Chronicle, October 23, 2025)
This Board has previously identified the value of the San Mateo County coast threatened by oil and gas drilling activities, including in Resolution No. 075671, which was adopted in 2018 in opposition to offshore drilling.
DISCUSSION:
The current federal administration’s efforts to open the OCS along California’s coast to oil drilling again threaten California’s coastal resources, including existing marine sanctuaries. In response to this threat, the County of Santa Cruz has initiated a new regional effort to coordinate and strengthen opposition to offshore oil drilling along the California coast, called the Offshore Oil Coalition Coordination Effort (OOCCE). The County of Santa Cruz has requested other local agencies to support that coordination effort.
It is prudent for San Mateo County to join with other coastal communities to re-establish a coalition in opposition to offshore oil and gas development. Opposition to federal efforts to open the OSC to oil drilling and deep-sea mining will likely need to be persistent and presented in multiple forums, and the County would benefit from coordinating its efforts with those of other coastal local agencies. The County of Santa Cruz is currently working to build the coalition of coastal communities participating in the OOCCE.
The OOCCE would aim to leverage the resources of participating local agencies to realize the advantages of coordinated opposition, including such activities as:
● Regular Briefings & Alerts: Real-time updates on federal offshore oil and gas leasing and deep-sea mining proposals, tailored for local officials.
● Draft Materials: Comment letters, resolutions, testimony, talking points, and media templates that jurisdictions can adapt and adopt.
● Direct Advocacy: Representation of local government interests in meetings with Members of Congress, federal agencies, and stakeholders.
● Regional Coordination: Sessions to align efforts across jurisdictions, amplify messaging, and strengthen collective influence.
● Communication Tools: Fact sheets and outreach materials grounded in science to inform the public and local decisionmakers, and a website and social media for a digital presence.
The potential benefits of participation in the OOCCE include continuous monitoring of emerging offshore threats, helping local governments be better prepared to respond; helping to ensure that local jurisdictions are ready, resourced, and represented without having to dedicate significant local staff time; strengthening California’s bipartisan local government voice in defending our clean-coast economy; protecting critical local industries-fishing, tourism, recreation-and the marine environment from preventable harm; demonstrating local leadership in safeguarding the California coast for future generations; ensuring timely submission of comments on federal permitting proposals; and reducing agency costs resulting from the collaborative funding model.
For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the County would contribute $20,000 to partially fund an existing contract between the County of Santa Cruz and Richard Charter, a consultant who has been coordinating opposition to offshore oil drilling both statewide and nationally for 45 years, for the provision of technical assistance and other professional coordination services in furtherance of the OOCCE. The County of Santa Cruz would be solely responsible for administration of its contract with Richard Charter, including payment of all invoices and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including those involving lobbying activities. The County would have access to and be able to make use of the work product created under that agreement, including reports, data, and draft public comment documents.
The County Executive’s Office would coordinate the County’s participation in the OOCCE for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, and return to the Board to report on those activities and to receive further Board direction regarding the County’s participation in the OOCCE beyond Fiscal Year 2025-2026, including the possibility of a more formal cooperative agreement, once all the initial participating agencies have been identified.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Adopting this Resolution is consistent with the County’s long-standing and unwavering commitment to protecting San Mateo County residents and our majestic coastline from environmental impacts associated with oil and gas development and related onshore facilities along the coast in areas within or near San Mateo County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact associated with adopting this Resolution is a $20,000 first-year cost, allocated from the General Fund (Non-Departmental Services), to financially support the existing contract between Santa Cruz County and Richard Charter for the provision of technical assistance and other professional coordination services in furtherance of the OOCCE.