2021 Top Accomplishments

RALLIED COMMUNITY TO STOP LOGGING PROJECTS – We continued to build opposition to the Pine Mountain project; argued two cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; submitted technical comments on Mt Pinos project; and conducted wildlife surveys in the project areas. Read more here.


PROTECTED THE CARRIZO PLAIN – We filed suit to halt the drilling of a new oil well and construction of a pipeline in Carrizo Plain National Monument. We also secured the removal of derelict wells and oil tanks, and our volunteers removed old fencing to improve wildlife movement across this unique landscape.


PROTECTED PUBLIC LANDS FROM MORE OIL DRILLING & FRACKING – Worked with our coalition partners to reverse the Trump administration’s plan to open over one million acres across the central coast region to new oil drilling and fracking.


STOPPED EXXON TRUCKING – With a strong local coalition, we helped stop Exxon’s plan to send 70 oil tankers per day along the Cuyama River through the Los Padres National Forest.


APPEALED SESPE OIL PERMITS – We spearheaded an appeal of a permit to drill and pump oil in the Sespe Oil Field for another 20 years; this is the first permit extension of its kind and could set a precedent for how (and whether) other permits in the Sespe are extended when they come up for renewal in the coming years. A proposal to drill and frack eight new wells near the Sespe Wilderness was officially shelved, and for the eight years in a row, we continued a de facto ban on fracking in the Los Padres National Forest.


CONTINUED BAN ON TARGET SHOOTING – For the second year in a row, we ensured that a ban on target shooting remained in place throughout the Los Padres National Forest and continued our work cleaning up trash left behind at former shooting sites.


ADVANCED WILDERNESS DESIGNATION IN CONGRESS – The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, a bill that would protect 159 miles of streams as Wild and Scenic and designate more than a quarter million acres as new or potential Wilderness in Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument, passed in the House (twice!) and is advancing in the Senate.


FACILITATED ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS – As one of the safest places to visit during the health crisis, we facilitated outdoor excursions on our public lands for youth and families from underserved communities on the Central Coast.


SAFEGUARDED AND WELCOMED WILDLIFE – Piloted a new program to provide landowners with supplies and techniques to reduce livestock-wildlife conflicts. And we worked with our legal team to defend wildlife in Ventura County from an industry lawsuit.


CONTINUED TO GROW OUR COMMUNITY – Nearly 3,000 new people joined our team of 25,000 advocates to help send 15,655 letters and messages to decision-makers about issues impacting our local public lands from oil drilling and logging, to protecting mountain lions and bobcats to preserving critical bedrock environmental laws.


, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments are closed.