Summary
AGENDA DATE: 11/18/2025
TO: Marin County Board of Supervisors
FROM: Sophie Helpard, Legislative Affairs Associate
Talia Smith, Interim Deputy County Executive
Derek Johnson, County Executive
SUBJECT: Reaffirm the County of Marin’s opposition to offshore drilling and deep-sea mining in response to federal actions to seek to expand drilling off the coast of California and approve participation in the Local Government Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program.
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution to:
- Reaffirm the County of Marin’s opposition to offshore drilling; and
- Join the Local Government Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program.
SUMMARY: The Trump Administration has accelerated efforts to expand offshore drilling in the past year, including signing several executive orders and directing the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) to issue new offshore oil and gas leases. This proposed resolution reaffirms the County of Marin’s longstanding opposition to these offshore activities and proposes Marin join a coordinated effort with other coastal communities to oppose these renewed federal efforts.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND: Jurisdiction over the coastline in California is shared between local, state and federal:
- Local government (e.g. County of Marin) has jurisdiction over land above the high tide line. Activities and development are regulated Local Coastal Programs (LCPs), which must be certified by the California Coastal Commission.
- State government has jurisdiction from the high tide line out to 3 miles offshore. There are two key state regulatory agencies for this area:
- California Coastal Commission (CCC): Regulates coastal development, public access, and environmental protection in the “coastal zone” (which also extends inland under LCPs).
- California State Lands Commission (SLC): Owns and manages the tide and submerged lands — roughly between the mean high tide line and 3 nautical miles out.
- Federal government has jurisdiction 3-200 miles offshore, and this is largely regulated by two key federal agencies:
- NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): Manages marine sanctuaries and fisheries.
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM): Regulates offshore energy (oil, gas, wind) leasing.
To make offshore drilling viable – even within federal waters – there needs to be either infrastructure (e.g. a pipeline) to transport oil from the rig to onshore facilities, or a ship adjacent to the rig which can load and transport the extracted oil (which is much more costly). The process of deep-sea mining is being made viable through technological advancements that remove mineral deposits from the seabed and pipe them to the surface vessels or platforms.
Existing offshore drilling in California is largely limited to Southern California around the Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Maria Basin. Most of these facilities were build in the second half of the 20th century – and no new federal or state offshore oil leases have been issued in California since 1984. There are no existing commercial deep-sea mining operations off the coast of California to date.
Longstanding local, state and federal policy in Marin and California has made the installation of any new oil transporting infrastructure through state waters and onshore nearly impossible. Drilling is prohibited in federally-protected marine sanctuaries, which include the Point Reyes OCS Exclusion Zone (1978), the original Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (1981), and the Monterey Bay and Greater Farallones. State-level Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated under California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) also protect these areas from any offshore activities.
The California Legislature first passed a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas leasing in California’s state waters through the California Coastal Sanctuary Act (AB 2444, 1994). Furthermore, 2018 laws (AB 1775 and SB 834) bar the State Lands Commission from authorizing any new leases for oil and gas-related infrastructure in state waters – and SB 704 (2023), requires all oil produced offshore in California be transported by pipeline only. Similarly, the California Seabed Mining Prevention Act (AB 1832, 2022) prohibits the State Lands Commission from issuing any leases lands for “hard mineral mining at the seafloor.”
State agencies have consistently objected to any expansion of offshore oil and gas leasing in adjacent federal waters, as well as deep-sea mining, and federal law (Section 18(a)(2)(F), OCS Lands Act) requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to give consideration to state and local laws in new federal leases.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors has taken its own opposition action over the years. In 2018, the Board adopted a Resolution supporting a ban on new drilling off the California coast and in 2020, the Board passed a local ordinance requiring local voter approval before any development of onshore facilities in Marin that would support offshore oil and gas exploration. Sonoma, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Mendocino, and Humboldt all adopted similar ordinances.
In response to periodic resurfaced efforts to lease new offshore oil drilling sites along California’s coastline, the Local Governments Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program was first established in 1980to collectively oppose these efforts. Marin County was among the original participating jurisdictions, along with Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, San Francisco, and several coastal cities and regional agencies. The Local Government coalition was active 1980 to 1994, and working collaboratively with state and federal partners, helped protect California’s coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies.
Given the current federal administration and threats to once again open California’s waters to new offshore oil and gas drilling, the Local Governments Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program has re-formed.
Summary of Trump Administration actions to date re: expanding offshore drilling:
- Signed the Unleashing American Energy Act executive order in January 2025, which called for the removal of federal regulations, acceleration for permits for energy projects, including oil, gas, and liquefied natural gas (LNG), increasing exploration on federal lands and waters and take action against state and local laws that impede energy development.
- Signed the Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources Act executive order in April 2025, which called for rapidly developing new domestic capabilities for deep-sea mining initiatives and expediting the process for commercial licenses. Following this, in June 2025, the Department of the Interior published a Request for Information to explore seabed mineral leasing offshore American Samoa.
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) issued a “Request for Information” on a new Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program in May 2025, which your Board provided comment on in June.
- Expected to propose a new Five-Year Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Plan in federal waters off the Pacific coast to offshore drilling in fall 2025
In light of these developments, staff is recommending your Board consider joining with other Coastal communities again in a renewed Local Governments OCS Coordination Program to ensure continued protection of the region’s environmental and economic interests. The re-established program would be coordinated by lobbyist Richard Charter, as it was from 1980-1994, to provide unified advocacy and technical expertise among participating jurisdictions.
Santa Cruz County is currently leading coordination of re-establish the Program and is asking counties to 1) pass a resolution to join the Program and 2) consider a financial contribution toward retaining Mr. Charter’s advocacy services. At this time, staff is recommending your Board pass the proposed resolution to formally re-join the Program and will return during the budget process with any new financial commitments recommended toward the Program’s federal advocacy efforts.
POLICY FRAMEWORK: Environmental protection has long been a local priority of Marin County’s leaders, reflected in policies focused on preserving open space, protecting coastal resources, and addressing the impacts of climate change. The County has invested in climate resilience planning, habitat restoration, and sustainable land use practices to safeguard both its natural landscapes and local communities. Given Marin’s extensive coastline and dependence on healthy marine ecosystems for recreation, tourism, and local livelihoods, the County has consistently supported state and regional efforts to prevent offshore oil and gas development.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors has long opposed all offshore drilling activities off the County’s coast and supporting protection of our natural marine resources. Your Board’s Legislative Platform has opposed all offshore drilling activities for several decades.
Most recently, in 2018, the Board of Supervisors adopted a Resolution that supports (1) a ban on new drilling, fracking, and other well stimulation in federal and state waters off the California coast, (2) a prohibition of any new federal oil and gas leases in the Pacific, Atlantic or Arctic oceans and the eastern Gulf of Mexico — areas currently protected from new leases; and 3) a rapid phaseout of all oil and gas extraction off the California coast on a rapid schedule sufficient to respond to the global climate change crisis.
In 2020, the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance requiring local voter approval before any development of onshore facilities that would support offshore oil and gas exploration. This decision added Chapter 23.22 to the Marin County Code entitled "Ordinance Amending the Marin County Code to Provide Procedures for Applications for Certain Facilities Supporting Offshore Oil And Gas Exploration and Development". The counties of Sonoma, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Mendocino, and Humboldt adopted similar ordinances.
In June, the Board of Supervisors provided written comment on behalf of the County of Marin in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) “Request for Information” regarding the preparation of the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The letter communicated strong opposition to the inclusion of any new oil and gas lease sales in the Pacific Region, rooted in longstanding federal, state, and local protections, as well as our County’s deep commitment to safeguarding marine ecosystems, public safety, and coastal economies.
Several other local communities have adopted similar resolutions and recommitted to the Local Governments Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program including the counties of Santa Cruz, Humboldt, and Sonoma.
EQUITY IMPACT SUMMARY: Climate change and environmental degradation disproportionately impact racialized, immigrant and low-income communities, who often have the fewest resources to prepare for or recover from harm. The County of Marin’s efforts to oppose initiatives that may accelerate climate change and be detrimental to the local ecosystem are therefore of particular importance as the County advances equity and environmental justice alongside climate action and preservation.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The annual Legislative Platform process includes considerable engagement with partners and stakeholders. Each fall, the Office of the County Executive reviews and updates the Platform to account for new policy developments and local priorities. All County departments, along with their Boards and Commissions, review and suggest revisions, which are incorporated into a draft for direct Board feedback. The Platform is also available for public comment when presented annually and it, along with all Board position letters, are publicly available on the County website. This process ensures that the Platform reflects broad stakeholder input and remains responsive to the needs of Marin’s communities.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE(S): This Resolution will ultimately be considered successful if offshore drilling and other environmentally harmful activities do not expand off of the cost of California. Given that this metric will be dependent on several factors beyond the County of Marin’s advocacy, an additional performance measure that staff will track is the activity of the Local Government Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program. This would include how active the coalition is in tracking federal actions and providing public comment.
CONTRACT RENEWALS AND PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES: N/A
CONTRACT RISKS: N/A
CEQA ANALYSIS: N/A
FISCAL, FACILITY, & STAFFING ANALYSIS: At this time, staff is recommending your Board pass the proposed resolution to formally re-join the Program without a financial commitment. Staff will return during the budget process with any new financial commitments recommended toward the Program’s federal advocacy efforts.
Staffing to support participation in the Program will be managed by the Office of the County Executive.
ALTERNATIVES: Instead of adopting the Resolution as written, the Board could choose to reaffirm opposition to offshore drilling without joining the Local Government Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Coordination Program. The Board could also choose to dedicate financial resources to the coordination effort despite not being recommended in this report.
APPROVED BY:
- County Executive [X] Yes or [ ] N/A
- Department of Finance [ ] Yes or [X ] N/A
- County Counsel [ ] Yes or [X ] N/A
- Human Resources [ ] Yes or [X] N/A
SUBMITTED BY:
Sophie Helpard, Legislative Affairs Associate
REVIEWED BY:
Derek Johnson, County Executive
ATTACHMENTS:
CC: Brian Washington, County Counsel
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