Santa Barbara News-Press
Published February 19, 2004

Lawmakers introduce bill to ban drilling Los Padres Forest would be preserved

By Anna Davison News-Press Staff Writer

Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, has introduced a bill to prohibit new oil and gas development in Los Padres National Forest, blocking one part of a larger Bush administration bid to open more federal areas to energy exploration.

At a press conference Wednesday at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Mrs. Capps said she wants to "slam the door" on any proposals to allow more drilling in the forest.

"This is a national forest, not a drilling site," Mrs. Capps said, adding that further exploration could blight both the environment and the local economy.

Joining her were Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum and City Councilwoman Helene Schneider, 2nd District Supervisor Susan Rose, representatives for 3rd District Supervisor Gail Marshall and Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, as well as tourist operators, forest users and representatives of various environmental groups.

The Los Padres National Forest Conservation Act was introduced Feb. 11 by Mrs. Capps and Rep. Sam Farr, D-Salinas. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have introduced companion legislation.

A "Coalition to Save Los Padres" was formed in response to a U.S. Forest Service study mandated by the Bush administration that contemplates opening more of the forest, including roadless areas, for drilling.

Jeff Wilson, a spokesman for the Western States Petroleum Association, noted that "the petroleum industry has demonstrated the ability to explore for and produce oil and natural gas in a safe and environmentally sensitive fashion all over the world."

There are already dozens of wells within the boundaries of the forest, mostly north of Santa Paula and Fillmore. The study categorized another 140,000 acres as having "high potential" for oil and gas development. According to the report, 84 million barrels of oil and 36 billion cubic feet of natural gas may lie untapped in the forest, enough to supply the country for four days.

Unlike areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, oil companies haven't exactly been clamoring to get at the smallish reserves. Access would likely be difficult, and the oil is scattered in reservoirs, rather than a single pool.

In a letter commenting on the Forest Service study, state deputy attorneys general Sally Magnani Knox and Brian Hembacher wrote that "there does not appear to be a pressing demand by bidders for leases in Los Padres."

But coalition members want to make sure no one has the chance to prove otherwise in the wilds of the forest. "We don't want to destroy a resource that belongs to those unborn," said Mati Waiya, a descendant of the Chumash, for whom the forest has sacred resonances.

Nick DiCroce of Solvang, a representative of California Trout, said it's simply "not compatible" to have oil trucks rolling through the forest, with its abundance of rare species and sensitive habitats.

Others recalled the 1969 offshore oil spill that turned local beaches black.

"Potential tourists from around the world were calling and canceling their plans," said Jeanette Webber, managing partner for the Santa Barbara Hotel Group.

She said that another mishap would affect the economy as well as the environment.

"Just one headline, that's all it takes to close the doors of some small businesses," she said.

Mrs. Capps said it simply doesn't make sense to tap Los Padres for its modest reserves when little is being done in this country to conserve energy or research new fuels. "We'd be better off promoting energy conservation and alternative fuels."

© Copyright 2004 by Santa Barbara News-Press