ONLINE ACTION

 

 

Public Input & Actions
BLM California; Central California District 

Media Contact: Kate Miyamoto, 760-883-8528, [email protected]

June 20, 2025

BLM seeks input on proposed oil and gas management updates in south-central California

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is announcing a 30-day public comment period to gather input on a supplemental environmental impact statement and potential amendment to the resource management plan for oil and gas leasing and development on public lands in portions of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura counties managed by the BLM Bakersfield Field Office.

The effort aligns with Secretary’s Order 3418, which supports President Trump’s call for “Unleashing American Energy,” aimed at increasing energy exploration and production on federal lands in an affordable and reliable manner. The order emphasizes development of oil, gas, coal, strategic minerals, and alternative energy sources on public lands.

Please submit written comments by July 23. Comments may be submitted via the National NEPA Register, hand-delivery, or by mail to the Bakersfield Field Office, Attn: Bakersfield SEIS Analysis, 35126 McMurtrey Ave., Bakersfield, CA  93308.

The BLM Bakersfield Field Office administers approximately 400,000 acres of public land and an additional 450,000 acres of federal mineral estate in Central California. California’s Federal production totals average approximately 8 -10 percent of California’s total oil and natural gas production.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Bakersfield Field Office, 35126 McMurtrey Avenue, Bakersfield, CA  93308

Follow the Bureau of Land Management California on X, Facebook, and Flickr

Cherri Espersen
Legislative Coordinator
Bureau of Land Management - Headquarters
U.S. Department of the Interior
667-500-3461

 

ONLINE ACTION

 Stop the Sale of the Los Padres and Other Public Lands!

 

A large portion of the Los Padres National Forest is at risk of being sold and developed. A dangerous proposal in Congress could sell off millions of acres of public land — including portions of the Los Padres National Forest — under the guise of budget reconciliation. Buried in the Senate’s latest spending bill, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” is a provision requiring the federal government to identify and sell at least 3 million acres of public land, using vague, decades-old criteria. Up to 112 million acres nationwide — including over 800,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest — is targeted as “eligible for disposal,” despite their ecological, recreational, and cultural value.

Click to tell key Senators to change course!

This land sale scheme is being promoted as a solution to the housing crisis, but that’s a smoke screen. Most of the affected land in the Los Padres is remote, rugged, lacks water, and is completely unsuitable for development. Building homes in these areas would increase wildfire risk, endanger lives, strain firefighting resources, and fragment critical wildlife corridors. This provision opens the door to the privatization and exploitation of lands that should be protected for habitat, clean water, and recreation. Our wild places belong to all of us — not to private developers. Urge your U.S. Senators to reject this short-sighted giveaway and keep our public lands in public hands. Thank you,

Benjamin Pitterle Director of Advocacy and Field Operations Los Padres ForestWatch | 805.617.4610

NOW UNTIL JULY 7

Notice of Availability of
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for Authorizing Changes to the
Falcon Launch Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base
and Public Hearings

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this notice to inform the public of the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Authorizing Changes to the Falcon Launch Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), California.  The Draft EIS was prepared to analyze the potential environmental effects associated with:

• The DAF’s authorization of the redevelopment of Space Launch Complex (SLC)-6 to support Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy operations, including launch and landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB);
• The DAF’s authorization of an increase in Falcon 9 launches and landings at VSFB and downrange landings in the Pacific Ocean; and
• The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) licensing Space Exploration Technologies Corporation’s (SpaceX) Falcon operations at VSFB and approval of related airspace closures.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The DAF is holding three in-person public hearings and a virtual public hearing to provide the public with the opportunity to learn more about the proposal and provide input. For more information about the in-person and virtual public hearings, please visit www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com.

IN-PERSON PUBLIC HEARINGS (5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pacific Time)

Tuesday, June 10, 2025      Four Points by Sheraton/Ventura Harbor Resort, 1050 Schooner Dr., Ventura, CA 93001

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Thursday, June 12, 2025    Hilton Garden Inn, 1201 North H St., Lompoc, CA 93436

VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING (6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pacific Time)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025     www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com

The public is invited to review the Draft EIS and provide substantive comments on the Proposed Action and the environmental analysis.  The public is also invited to provide comments on the project’s potential to affect historic properties pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.  Comments may be submitted at the in-person public hearings, the virtual public hearing, online via the project website at www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com, or by U.S. postal mail to:

ATTN: VSFB Falcon Launch EIS, c/o ManTech International Corporation, 420 Stevens Avenue, Suite 100, Solana Beach, CA 92075

To ensure the DAF has sufficient time to consider public comments during preparation of the Final EIS, please submit comments within the 45-day public review and comment period, which closes July 7, 2025.  Please also help the DAF inform the community about the availability of the Draft EIS, public comment period, and public hearings by sharing this information with your community and constituents.

If you have any questions regarding the EIS process, please contact Ms. Hilary Rummel, NEPA Project Manager, at [email protected], or VSFB Public Affairs office at 805-606-3595.  To learn more about this project, please visit www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com