Earlier this year, an oil company removed two unsightly oil tanks atop a prominent ridge in the Carrizo Plain National Monument, restoring scenic views across miles of sagebrush-studded foothills at the base of Caliente Mountain, San Luis Obispo County’s tallest peak.
The tanks were built decades ago as part of the Morales Canyon Oil Field, a small—and now nearly defunct—oil field that was grandfathered into the Carrizo Plain National Monument when it was established in 2001. A few dozen wells have been drilled in Morales Canyon over the years—mainly in the 1950s—and only five of them remain. Those wells are now inactive and the field hasn’t produced oil in several years, according to federal data.
ForestWatch discovered the deteriorating tanks while conducting field reconnaissance in the area in 2018 and lodged an inquiry with the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that oversees the monument.
In response to the ForestWatch report, the Bureau looked into the matter and ordered the oil company to remove the tanks along with associated power lines and poles, pipelines, an old shed, fencing, and other abandoned debris at the site.
The oil company that operates the oil lease—E&B Natural Resources of Bakersfield—eventually applied for a permit to remove the tanks and restore the site to natural conditions. Then the Bureau completed some environmental studies and authorized the company to begin work. The project was completed in early 2021, according to a Bureau official.
The area in and around the oil field was included in the boundaries of the Carrizo Plain National Monument when it was established in 2001, but the operations were allowed to continue under a more stringent set of rules. Those rules require the oil company to address a backlog of idle oil wells, and to remove oil equipment and facilities that are no longer in use. As the oil field reaches the end of its useful life, additional infrastructure will be removed and the area will gradually be returned to natural conditions.
The removal of the oil tanks is a momentous first step towards realizing the restoration potential of Caliente Mountain’s western flank. ForestWatch acknowledges the Bureau and the oil company for their work in addressing these long-forgotten tanks, and will continue to push for the restoration of key landscapes as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
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