Notice of Availability of the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program: 1st Analysis and Proposal

41 Members of Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Restaurants and Hotels Oppose New Lease Sales in the Draft Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program. The comment and business signatures are attached.

Attached are comments from the Surfrider Foundation Florida Chapters regarding the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program.

Filed on regulations.gov — full text not in the inline record.

Please see the attached file, which is a letter of opposition to the draft plan on behalf of the Surfrider chapters in the Southern California OCS planning region.

Please see the attached letter of comment from the Surfrider Foundation Texas Chapters.

Filed on regulations.gov — full text not in the inline record.

January 10, 2025 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Ms. Kelly Hammerle Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM–LD) U.S. Department of Interior 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216 RE: Opposition to New Lease Sales in the Draft Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program from [Business, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Dear Secretary, As an organization that is dedicated to the protection and preservation of our ocean, beaches and coastal environment, we, the Outer Banks Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, write to express our strong opposition to new oil and gas lease sales in the next 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Specifically, we ask that you protect the East Coast and all other U.S. waters from new oil and gas development. The expansion of offshore oil and gas development along the East Coast would cause significant and unnecessary negative impacts to our state's marine ecosystems, wildlife, coastal communities, and vital recreation and tourism industries. Instead of approving new oil and gas leasing in U.S. waters, our nation should prioritize clean energy by investing in renewable energy development, starting by lifting the paus on offshore wind energy development. Offshore oil and gas development in new areas would require seismic surveys, drilling operations, oil transport by tankers, and the installation of platforms, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Collectively these activities would significantly damage the environment, marine wildlife, coastal economies and ways of life. New offshore drilling would also expose the marine environment and coastal communities to the risks of another catastrophic oil spill. Finally, new offshore oil and gas leasing would exacerbate the climate crisis as our nation and world struggle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An overwhelming majority of the public is opposed to new offshore oil and gas drilling. To date, over 400 municipalities, 2,500 elected officials, 59,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families across the United States have formally opposed new offshore oil and gas development. Further, according to a national poll, an estimated 64% of registered U.S. voters are opposed to new offshore drilling. The widespread opposition to new offshore drilling in U.S. waters is bipartisan and reflected throughout various regions of the country. The federal offshore drilling program directly impacts our nation's ocean recreation, tourism, and fisheries industries that generate over $520 billion annually. These industries depend on a clean coastal environment to support a combined 2.5 million jobs across the United States. Allowing new offshore drilling will damage public resources that these industries depend upon by generating harmful impacts through every phase of the drilling process. Such drilling will subject communities to the ever-present risks of oil spills and onshore impacts which can be catastrophic to both the environment and economy. Coastal businesses depend on clean beaches and waters, abundant wildlife, and scenic viewsheds – all of which would be compromised by the expansion of offshore drilling and an increased risk of spills. A major spill would cause catastrophic impacts to these coastal communities, a truth we should have learned from previous spills that have had long-lasting impacts on local tourism rates. Finally, oil and gas development disproportionately impacts lower-income and communities of color who, too often, bear the brunt of fossil fuel operations. In the Gulf, the oil and gas industry has contributed to the extensive loss of coastal wetlands, leaving communities more vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather events. Meanwhile, onshore infrastructure associated with offshore leasing pollutes frontline communities and damages public health.The Department must account for these inequities in its analysis of potential new oil and gas lease sales in public waters. In summary, we ask you to protect…

Filed on regulations.gov — full text not in the inline record.

Filed on regulations.gov — full text not in the inline record.

11th National OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program Bureau of Ocean Energy Management December 4, 2025 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Ms. Kelly Hammerle Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM–LD) U.S. Department of Interior 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216 RE: Opposition to New Lease Sales in the Draft Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program from Surfrider Foundation Santa Cruz Chapter Dear Secretary, The Surfrider Santa Cruz Chapter and our local Santa Cruz Communities depend on a clean, healthy, and thriving coastal environment. We are writing to express our strong opposition to any new oil and gas lease sales in the next 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Specifically, we ask that you protect Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay and all other U.S. waters from new oil and gas development. The expansion of offshore oil and gas development in Central California would cause significant and unnecessary negative impacts to our state's marine ecosystems, wildlife, coastal communities, and vital recreation and tourism industries. Instead of approving new oil and gas leasing in U.S. waters, our nation should prioritize clean energy by investing in renewable energy development. New offshore drilling would expose the marine environment and coastal communities to the risks of another catastrophic oil spill. Monterey Bay is a region of exceptional biodiversity: it is home to 36 species of marine mammals, 180 species of seabirds and shorebirds, 525 species of fish, and many more invertebrates. It contains vast areas of kelp forests, which naturally provide ecosystem services (in the form of fisheries and carbon/nitrogen sequestration) valued between $64,400 and $147,100/hectare/year. Protecting this region from the impacts of offshore drilling is critical to the ecological and economic needs of the region. Furthermore, new offshore oil and gas leasing would exacerbate the climate crisis as our nation and world struggle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Offshore oil and gas development in new areas would require seismic surveys, drilling operations, oil transport by tankers, and the installation of platforms, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Collectively these activities would significantly damage the environment, marine wildlife, coastal economies and ways of life. An overwhelming majority of the public is opposed to new offshore oil and gas drilling. To date, over 400 municipalities, 2,500 elected officials, 59,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families across the United States have formally opposed new offshore oil and gas development. Further, according to a national poll, an estimated 64% of registered U.S. voters are opposed to new offshore drilling. The widespread opposition to new offshore drilling in U.S. waters is bipartisan and reflected throughout various regions of the country. The federal offshore drilling program directly impacts our nation's ocean recreation, tourism, and fisheries industries that generate over $520 billion annually. These industries depend on a clean coastal environment to support a combined 2.5 million jobs across the United States. Allowing new offshore drilling will damage public resources that these industries depend upon by generating harmful impacts through every phase of the drilling process. Such drilling will subject communities to the ever-present risks of oil spills and onshore impacts which can be catastrophic to both the environment and economy. Coastal businesses depend on clean beaches and waters, abundant wildlife, and scenic viewsheds – all of which would be compromised by the expansion of offshore drilling and an increased risk of spills. A major spill would cause catastrophic impacts to these coastal communities, a truth we should have learned from previous spills that have had long-lasting impacts on local tourism rates. Finally, oil and gas development disproportionately impacts lower-income and communities of color who, too…

December 4, 2025 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Ms. Kelly Hammerle Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM–LD) U.S. Department of the Interior 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216 RE: Opposition to New Lease Sales in the Draft Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program from Surfrider Foundation Dear Secretary, As a Surfrider chapter that depends on a clean and healthy coastal environment, we write to express our strong opposition to new oil and gas lease sales in the next 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Specifically, we ask that you protect the Atlantic OCS Region and all other U.S. waters from new oil and gas development. The expansion of offshore oil and gas development in the Atlantic OCS Region would cause significant and unnecessary negative impacts to our state's marine ecosystems, wildlife, coastal communities, and vital recreation and tourism industries. Instead of approving new oil and gas leasing in U.S. waters, our nation should prioritize clean energy by investing in renewable energy development. Offshore oil and gas development in new areas would require seismic surveys, drilling operations, oil transport by tankers, and the installation of platforms, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Collectively these activities would significantly damage the environment, marine wildlife, coastal economies and ways of life. New offshore drilling would also expose the marine environment and coastal communities to the risks of another catastrophic oil spill. Finally, new offshore oil and gas leasing would exacerbate the climate crisis as our nation and world struggle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An overwhelming majority of the public is opposed to new offshore oil and gas drilling. To date, over 400 municipalities, 2,500 elected officials, 59,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families across the United States have formally opposed new offshore oil and gas development. Further, according to a national poll, an estimated 64% of registered U.S. voters are opposed to new offshore drilling. The widespread opposition to new offshore drilling in U.S. waters is bipartisan and reflected throughout various regions of the country. The federal offshore drilling program directly impacts our nation's ocean recreation, tourism, and fisheries industries that generate over $520 billion annually. These industries depend on a clean coastal environment to support a combined 2.5 million jobs across the United States. Allowing new offshore drilling will damage public resources that these industries depend upon by generating harmful impacts through every phase of the drilling process. Such drilling will subject communities to the ever-present risks of oil spills and onshore impacts which can be catastrophic to both the environment and economy. Coastal businesses depend on clean beaches and waters, abundant wildlife, and scenic viewsheds – all of which would be compromised by the expansion of offshore drilling and an increased risk of spills. A major spill would cause catastrophic impacts to these coastal communities, a truth we should have learned from previous spills that have had long-lasting impacts on local tourism rates. Finally, oil and gas development disproportionately impacts lower-income and communities of color who, too often, bear the brunt of fossil fuel operations. In the Gulf, the oil and gas industry has contributed to the extensive loss of coastal wetlands, leaving communities more vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather events. Meanwhile, onshore infrastructure associated with offshore leasing pollutes frontline communities and damages public health. The Department must account for these inequities in its analysis of potential new oil and gas lease sales in public waters. In summary, we ask you to protect all U.S. waters including the Atlantic OCS Region from any new oil and gas leasing in the 11th OCS Oil and Gas Program. We appreciate the opportunity to pr…