Santa Barbara Channelkeeper works to protect and restore the Santa Barbara Channel and the creeks, wetlands, rivers, and beaches that flow into it, but our impact is greater when you lend your voice to the cause. Your participation makes a difference!
Here’s how you can help.
Voice Your Opposition to the Reactivation of Offshore Oil Operations Along the Gaviota Coast
In 2015, a corroded pipeline on the Gaviota Coast ruptured, spewing more than 120,000 gallons of crude oil near Refugio State Beach. It caused one of the largest oil spills in California’s history, resulting in $750 million in damage to our coastal environment, local fisheries, and ocean-dependent businesses, in addition to the deaths of hundreds of marine mammals and birds.
A Texas-based oil company, Sable Offshore, is aggressively attempting to restart offshore oil production using the same pipeline infrastructure, along with three offshore platforms called the Santa Ynez Unit and two onshore processing facilities on the Gaviota Coast. They have promised their shareholders that production will begin by the end of 2025.
Channelkeeper is working with the Environmental Defense Center and other organizations to oppose the restart of oil production from the Santa Ynez Unit and conveyance through the corroded pipeline that devastated our coast in 2015.
Get Involved
Urge Governor Gavin Newsom and California State Parks to act now to protect the coast.
Tell Governor Newsom and California State Parks: Parks are for People, NOT Pipelines!
California State Parks granted Sable a Notice of Exemption in May of 2025, which entailed granting a right-of-entry into Gaviota State Park that allowed Sable to excavate and repair eighteen sites along the pipeline without environmental review. Since then, Sable has submitted an application to State Parks for an easement to restart, operate, and maintain the portion of the pipeline that passes through Gaviota State Park. Channelkeeper and our partners are concerned that State Parks will grant the company the requested easement without public notice, environmental review, or tribal consultation.
Channelkeeper and other environmental groups assert that State Parks should conduct an environmental review of Sable’s application for an easement through Gaviota State Park, and thus, we are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and California State Parks to require a full environmental impact review before any action on this easement is taken.
It is vital to show strong community support for environmental review before this project continues forward!
We are asking community members to call Governor Newsom and California State Parks director Armando Quintero to tell them that our State Parks are for people, not oil pipelines. Restarting oil production and conveyance through the corroded pipeline system that was responsible for the 2015 Plains All-American Oil Spill at Refugio Beach would endanger some of California’s most ecologically sensitive coastline.
Call Governor Newsom and California State Parks today!
- Use the sample text below or create your own
- Call Governor Newsom: 916-445-2841
- Send it in a letter: Governor Gavin Newsom, 1021 O Street, Suite 9000, Sacramento, CA 95814
Tell Governor Newsom that it’s time to step in to stop Sable’s dangerous oil pipeline. State agencies must do the right thing: Stop the restart. Defend our precious ecosystems and stop risky oil drilling along the sensitive Gaviota Coast.
Call Governor Newsom’s office at 916-445-2841. Try to talk to a member of staff. Here’s what you can say:
“Hello. My name is ___ and I’m a resident of ____ .
I’m extremely disappointed to see Sable Offshore, a Texas-based company, barrel through with its risky, dangerous plans to restart oil drilling off of Gaviota Coast. Not a single agency under your leadership appears to be committed to conducting a full environmental review for the proposed restart, including for the defective pipeline that caused the 2015 disaster.
None of us want another major oil spill, and we need strong leadership from you to stop that from happening.
Please reverse course and stand up to protect California’s coast from offshore drilling. Thank you.”
You can also call State Park’s Director Quintero’s office to share your message at 916-902-8900.
“Hello. My name is ___ and I’m a resident of ____ .
I’m extremely disappointed that State Parks already granted one exemption from environmental review for Sable Offshore Corp’s work in Gaviota State Park.
None of us want a repeat of the massive 2015 oil spill at Refugio State Beach and we need strong leadership from you to stop that from happening.
Please require a full environmental review before you make any decision on Sable Offshore Corp.’s application for a new pipeline easement through Gaviota State Park for the Las Flores Pipeline System. Thank you
Note: If you get through to voicemail, please leave a message.
Then, invite your friends and family to call as well.
Thank you for helping protect our coast, community, and wildlife!
Protect Our Waters – Set Common Sense Limits on Fertilizer Application for Farms
California leads the nation as a top agricultural producer – but the cost to our drinking water and environment is huge.
Over-application of fertilizer on farms is the biggest source of pollution to our groundwater supplies. Records show that the vast majority of farms egregiously over-apply fertilizer. According to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board ("Regional Board"), over half the nitrogen applied as fertilizer ends up as harmful pollution to the environment. Currently, farms discharge nitrogen at levels ten times higher than levels that are safe for drinking water and protective of the environment. The Regional Board has issued findings that “groundwater nitrate (fertilizer) contamination is widespread and severe, and degradation is increasing in many areas.” Nitrates leaching from fields into aquifers have left over 100,000 square miles of groundwater contaminated with nitrates throughout California, resulting in toxic drinking water supplies.
Nitrogen pollution from fertilizers is also harmful to ecosystems. Nitrogen pollution in streams, wetlands, and the ocean can fuel toxic algal blooms, which can make swimming unsafe, poison marine life, and shut down entire fisheries.
To address this detrimental overuse of fertilizers on farms, the Regional Board is proposing to set new limits for fertilizer application. These new limits would require farmers to apply only as much fertilizer as their crops actually need.
To support clean water, and to help tackle the State's biggest water pollution problem, please sign our petition to support fertilizer application limits for farms.
Use the form below to send the following message directly to decision makers:
To: Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
From: [Your Name]
Dear Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board,
I support responsible agriculture AND clean water. We can achieve both, but limits must be established to prevent farms from over-applying fertilizer. Please protect our rivers, wetlands, ocean, and ground water supplies. Require farms to stop over-fertilizing and allow application of only as much fertilizer as crops reasonably need. Thank you for helping to address the State’s biggest water pollution problem.