Los Padres National Forest is one of the top places in America considered "too wild to drill," according to a new report from The Wilderness Society. It highlights a dozen of the nation's most unique landscapes that it says are threatened by oil and gas drilling.
The Los Padres forest not only provides drinking water to the Santa Barbara area but also is well-known for two iconic animals, said Warren Alford, California regional representative for The Wilderness Society.
"The last [wild] California condor was captured here and became part of a successful reintroduction program," said Alford, "and the last California grizzly bear was captured and killed. And that's just an indication of how wild and how rugged this area is, and it's simply too wild to drill."
The oil industry already has 180 operating wells in less sensitive parts of the forest, including the Sespe Oil Field in Ventura County. Another 52,000 acres could be opened up to oil drilling in the future.
Alford said his group believes guided energy development is appropriate on public lands that already have impacts from oil drilling. But he says there are far too many places where the natural benefits of the area outweigh the small amounts of oil and gas that could be found.
"We should direct those activities to places that are appropriate, that don't have the level of ecological significance, and that already have other human impact," he said.
The report also provides suggestions for protecting these wild places, including steps that Congress and President Obama can take to protect them from oil and gas drilling.
About the Author
No TrackBacks
TrackBack URL: http://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/20135
'Slake' Video Project Puts Heat on LADWP Over Owens Valley
Watch
-
At $5 Million, This is a Deal: Jumpstarting the Restoration of Big Tujunga Canyon
The Angeles National Forest is L.A.'s biggest playground. We all need ...
-
This Month, Desert Monsters Emerge From Their Subterranean Lairs
"Mother of God, what for the sake of all that's holy is that?"
-
Meatless Mondays: It Helps Combat Our Warming Planet -- and Thickening Waists
How powerful is Big Ag on Capitol Hill? The Congressional Vegetarian C...
-
The Hummingbird Outside My Window is a Good Sign for the Neighborhood
In this urban, seemingly over-paved environment, hummingbirds are an i...
- Ballot Brief
The latest about elections in Southern California and across the state. - Rewire
Tracking renewable energy in California. - The Back Forty
News and views on land use, wildlife, and environmental issues in California. - Confluence
The latest in stories related to the revitalization of the Los Angeles River.
