Rep. Carbajal Reintroduces Central Coast Heritage Protection Act to Protect Local Land from Drilling

Last week, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) hosted a press conference at Rocky Nook Park to reintroduce the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act.

This act would designate approximately 250,000 acres of public land in the Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument as wilderness, the highest form of federal protection available. A wilderness designation would protect the land from future oil or gas drilling. 

“From the rugged trails of the Los Padres National Forest to the sweeping Carrizo Plain, the Central Coast is home to some of the most pristine public lands in the country,” said Rep. Carbajal. “With my Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, we’ll take bold steps to ensure these landscapes are safeguarded so that future generations can continue to enjoy the natural beauty that defines our region.”

Carbajal’s bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives five times over his tenure in Congress, but has stalled in the U.S. Senate in previous terms.

In 2023, the legislation was advanced to the Senate floor as part of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (CA) public lands package to restore and expand protection for over 1 million acres of federal public land.

“CalWild was thrilled to celebrate Representative Carbajal’s reintroduction of his Central Coast Heritage Protection Act today.  In addition to protecting important ecological, cultural, recreational and other values in the Central Coast region, this bill sends a strong message that we all love our national public lands and want them to remain accessible to all of us.  We applaud Representative Carbajal’s leadership and ever enduring commitment to see these lands and waters managed in a way that ensures they will remain the same for many generations to visit and enjoy,” Linda Castro, Assistant Policy Director, CalWild.

The bill is supported by nearly 500 Central Coast landowners, businesses, elected officials, farmers, ranchers, civic leaders, wineries, recreationalists, and outfitters. The public lands this bill would protect are home to a wide array of plant and animal life, and the bill will help sustain the ecological future of 468 species of wildlife and more than 1,200 plant species.

“The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act would permanently protect some of the most biodiverse areas in Los Padres National Forest and across the Carrizo Plain National Monument. We thank Congressman Carbajal for his relentless efforts in championing this legislation, especially at a time when threats to our nation’s public lands have never been greater,” Bryant Baker, Director of Conservation & Research for the Los Padres ForestWatch.

Carbajal stated the bill has a year and a half left to pass through Congress, and he hopes to gain bipartisan support to get it passed.