In 2005 Gloria Brown, supervisor
of the Los Padres National Forest at the time, made the decision to
open 52,075 acres of national forest land in Santa Barbara and Ventura
Counties to counties to oil and gas drilling.
“She felt that it was a reasonable decision, allowing some of
our oil and gas resources to be available while making sure the condor
are protected,” said Kathy Good, public affairs officer for
the Los Padres National Forest.
But David Horgan, conservation manager for the Center of Biological
Diversity, disagrees.
“Oil and nature don’t mix,” he said. “The
Forest Service’s claim that new oil and gas drilling won’t
cause any harm to condors or other wildlife insults the intelligence
of every American who values long-term conservation of our national
forests over short-term profit.”
The Bureau of Land Management was about to announce that they were
accepting expressions of interest for the newly available land from
oil companies at the end of January, said Kuyper.
Around the same time a subsidiary
of Occidental Oil spilled what is now estimated to be about 800 gallons
of oil into Tar Creek, a tributary of the federally designated Wild
and Scenic Sespe Creek. So the bureau decided not to announce their
decision to accept expressions of interest at that time, according
to Kuyper.
Though the spill occurred
on privately owned land and did not reach the forest, the creek runs
along the boundary of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary.
“If more oil drilling is allowed to occur on our public lands,
spills will inevitably become more frequent,” said Kim Delfino,
California program director for Defenders of Wildlife.
Good responded that spills have occurred at drilling sites with old
equipment which is being replaced over time. Any new drilling would
be done with modern technology and further protection, she said.
Drilling would also interfere with recreation at popular hiking sites
near Ojai including Horn Canyon, Sisar Canyon and the Sespe, said
Kuyper.
Hikers, horseback riders and other outdoor enthusiasts would have
to pass through oil fields to get to their favorite trails if more
drilling occurs.
A 2004 report by the Forest Service and Michigan State University
identified Los Padres as one of the most heavily visited national
forests. The nearly 2 million yearly visitors spent an average $43
each day of their visit, proving an asset to the local economy.
Calculations by the Forest Service concluded that the new drilling
would supply less than a day’s stock of oil to the country.
“The Los Padres is far too important to risk for less than a
day’s supply of oil,” said Kuyper.
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