Notice2026-00468
Notice of Availability of the Draft Central Coast Field Office Oil and Gas, Leasing and Development Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, California
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 13, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Central Coast Field Office Oil and Gas Leasing and Development Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1329-1330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00468]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[A2407-014-004-065516; O2509-014-004-125222]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Central Coast Field Office
Oil and Gas, Leasing and Development Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
announces the availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Central Coast Field Office Oil and Gas
Leasing and Development Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
DATES: To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the
Draft Supplemental EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your
comments within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft
Supplemental EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes its
NOAs on Fridays. The BLM will hold one virtual public meeting, with the
date announced on the BLM California website. The public must register
in advance for this webinar to participate: <a href="https://empsi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QQH86OyJTaGC_E6xGmwqlA#/registration">https://empsi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QQH86OyJTaGC_E6xGmwqlA#/registration</a>.
ADDRESSES: The Draft Supplemental EIS and associated documents are
available for review on the BLM project website at: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2037489/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2037489/510</a>.
Written comments related to the Central Coast Field Office Oil and
Gas Leasing and Development Supplemental EIS may be submitted by the
following method: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2037489/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2037489/510</a>.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may also be examined at the
Central Coast Field Office, address 940 2nd Ave., Marina, CA 93933.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Mathews, Project Manager,
telephone (831) 582-2257; address 940 2nd Ave. Marina, CA 93933; email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e6c6263516d6f516d6d68615161676251696f7d517d6b677d4e6c626320696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0c6e6061536f6d536f6f6a6353636560536b6d7f537f69657f4c6e6061226b637a">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may
dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services for contacting Ms. Mathews. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Central Coast Field Office planning area
includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa
Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, and portions of Fresno, Merced, and San
Joaquin counties and encompasses approximately 284,000 acres of public
land and an additional 509,000 acres of Federal mineral estate (i.e.,
split estate). The purpose of the Supplemental EIS is to analyze the
environmental effects of oil and gas leasing and development within the
Planning Area and to determine whether changes are needed to the fluid
minerals decisions based on new information or changes in circumstances
in the Central Coast Field Office. The need for the supplemental
environmental analysis is to respond to the Settlement Agreement in
Case No. 3:19-cv-07155-JSC filed with the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California on December 5, 2022. The BLM presented
preliminary information for public scoping review and comment in the
June 23, 2025, Federal Register Notice of Intent (90 FR 26602). Issues
identified by BLM personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and
other stakeholders and analyzed in the Draft Supplemental EIS were
categorized by resources and include: air and atmospheric values; water
quality and quantity; special status species; and recreation. The six
management
[[Page 1330]]
alternatives as analyzed in the 2019 Proposed RMP/Final EIS were:
Alternative A. Alternative A would continue current management
under the existing RMP. All Federal mineral estate would be available
for oil and gas leasing, except for designated wilderness, wilderness
study areas, the Fort Ord National Monument, and the Clear Creek
Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), which are
closed under the existing RMP. No Surface Occupancy (NSO) stipulations
would be applied in ACECs and to Recreation and Public Purpose (R&PP)
leases. The Endangered Species stipulation from the existing RMP would
apply in all areas open to leasing.
Alternative B. Under Alternative B, Federal mineral estate within
the boundaries of oil and gas fields plus a 0.5-mile buffer currently
identified by the Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) would be
available for leasing. Other areas would be closed to oil and gas
leasing, including all National Conservation Lands. Controlled Surface
Use (CSU) stipulations would apply to all lands open to leasing.
Alternative C. Under Alternative C, unless currently closed under
the existing RMP, Federal mineral estate would be open to leasing
within high oil and gas potential areas or within 0.5-mile of the
boundaries of oil and gas fields currently identified by CalGEM, with
the exception of core population areas of the giant kangaroo rat in the
vicinity of Panoche, Griswold-Tumey and Ciervo Hills, which would be
closed to leasing. CSU stipulations would apply to all lands open to
leasing. NSO stipulations would apply to some lands open to leasing,
including: (1) Threatened and endangered species critical habitat; (2)
BLM-developed recreation and administrative sites; and (3) Special
status split estate lands (e.g., State parks, county parks, lands with
existing conservation easements, land trusts and scenic designations).
Alternative D. Under Alternative D, unless currently closed under
the existing RMP, Federal mineral estate underlying BLM surface estate
would be available for leasing. All Federal mineral estate underlying
the Ciervo Panoche Natural Area (both BLM surface and split-estate
lands) would be closed to leasing. CSU stipulations would apply to all
lands open to leasing. NSO stipulations would be applied in ACECs and
R&PP leases.
Alternative E. Under Alternative E, unless currently closed under
the existing RMP, Federal mineral estate outside of a California
Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118, Groundwater Basin or Sub-
basin, would be available for leasing. CSU stipulations would apply to
all lands open to leasing. NSO stipulations would apply to some lands
open to leasing, including: (1) 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs)
intersecting EPA impaired, perennial surface waters (BLM surface and
split estate); (2) 12-digit HUCs intersecting non-impaired, perennial
surface waters that intersect split estate; (3) 12-digit HUC sub-
watersheds with the highest aquatic intactness score; (4) 0.25 miles
from non-impaired, perennial surface waters; and (5) 0.25 miles from
eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Alternative F (Preferred Alternative). Under Alternative F, all
Federal mineral estate would be available for oil and gas leasing with
CSU stipulations, except for designated wilderness, wilderness study
areas, the Fort Ord National Monument, and the Clear Creek Serpentine
ACEC, which are closed under the existing RMP. NSO stipulations would
be applied in the Joaquin Rocks ACEC, as well as within ACECs and giant
kangaroo rat core population areas in the Ciervo Panoche Natural Area.
Under each action alternative, CSU stipulations would apply to all
lands open to leasing. The CSU stipulations would mitigate impacts to
sensitive resources such as protected, sensitive, and priority species;
critical and priority habitat; cultural resources; and water resources
by requiring special operational constraints on surface use to protect
these resources.
The results of this Draft Supplemental Analysis, additive to those
identified in the 2019 Final EIS, did not show notable increase in
total impacts. No conflicts were found between the estimated impacts of
the alternatives and the resource or program management goals and
objectives stated in the RMP amendment. The range of alternatives has
not changed between the BLM-approved 2019 RMP amendment and its 2019
Final EIS, and the 2025 Draft Supplemental EIS. Therefore, no amendment
to the 2019 RMP amendment is necessary.
The Draft Supplement EIS addresses two lease parcels within the
CCFO that do not contain NSO stipulations (non-NSO leases). Fourteen
lease parcels were considered in the 2019 Final EIS, but twelve of the
fourteen prospective leases were declined or terminated at the request
of the bidder. The BLM's proposed plan identifies implementation-level
decisions for the two remaining issued but suspended leases. For each
of the two remaining lease parcels, the implementation decision
identifies stipulations necessary for resource protection. These
implementation-level decisions are subject to appeal to the Interior
Board of Land Appeals after the signing of a Record of Decision for
this project.
Public Involvement Process
The date(s) and location(s) of any additional meetings will be
announced in advance through local media, newspapers, ePlanning project
page (see ADDRESSES), BLM website (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175, BLM Manual Section 1780 and other Departmental policies. Tribal
concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personally identifiable information in your comment, you should
be aware that your entire comment--including your personally
identifiable information--may be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personally
identifiable information from public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4332.
Joseph Stout,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2026-00468 Filed 1-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-15-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 13, 2026.
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