New Offshore Drilling Plan Threatens $250 Billion Coastal Economy

Surfrider Foundation rallies public opposition against proposal to drill in previously protected waters off California, Florida, and Alaska

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Nov. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Trump administration proposal would open California, Florida, and Alaska waters to offshore drilling, threatening the nation's coastal recreation and tourism economy, and the fishing industry, which together generate $250 billion annually and support 3.3 million American jobs. The Surfrider Foundation is calling on elected officials and the public to submit formal opposition during the public comment period, which runs through January 22, 2026.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposed 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2026-2031 would open waters in the Gulf of Mexico, including previously protected areas off Florida's coast, as well as the entirety of California's and nearly all of Alaska's coastlines, including the High Arctic, where drilling has never occurred due to extreme environmental risks.

"The Surfrider Foundation has beaten the Trump administration's plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters before, and we're ready to do it again," said Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation. "New leases in this drilling plan threaten wildlife, communities, and the coastal recreation and tourism industries that contribute billions of dollars to our nation's economy. New drilling will also increase the likelihood of another catastrophic oil spill, like the Deepwater Horizon. We call on the President and Congress to respect the will of the people and reject new offshore drilling off U.S. coasts."

Coastal Economy Dwarfs Offshore Oil Industry
Offshore drilling poses a serious threat to coastal recreation, tourism, and fishing industries that depend on clean, healthy ocean environments. Ocean tourism and recreation provide nearly ten times more jobs than the offshore oil industry nationally. Even in the Gulf of Mexico, where most offshore drilling currently occurs, ocean-dependent tourism, recreation, and fishing provide the largest employment contributions in every Gulf state except Texas.

The U.S. does not need new offshore leasing to meet national energy needs. The oil and gas industry already holds over 1,800 fully approved but unused drilling permits across federal lands. Consumer relief at the pump will not come from new offshore oil wells — gas prices are determined by global markets and would not be significantly impacted by new offshore drilling in U.S. waters, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Broad Public Opposition
Offshore drilling remains deeply unpopular nationwide. More than 400 municipalities, 2,500 elected officials, 59,000 businesses, and 500,000 fishing families have formally opposed new offshore oil and gas development. Two-thirds of American voters oppose new offshore drilling, with 83% agreeing we need leaders who will prioritize protecting our lands, waters, and wildlife, according to recent polling.

In January 2025, outgoing President Biden took action to protect more than 625 million acres of U.S. waters — including the East Coast, West Coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea — from future oil and gas leasing. These protections were short-lived, as President Trump signed an executive order after being sworn in, in a legally dubious attempt to revoke the Biden-era protections. An attempt to do the same to Obama-era protections in the Arctic was ultimately ruled unlawful by a federal judge during Trump's first term. Surfrider has joined partners in filing lawsuits to restore the Biden-era protections.

Call to Action
The Surfrider Foundation is mobilizing coastal communities across the nation to stop new offshore drilling. Without massive, unified public opposition, the ocean protection advocates at Surfrider warn their voices will be drowned out by oil industry lobbying in Washington.

Members of the public can submit comments opposing the offshore drilling proposal to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management here before January 22, 2026. Learn more about Surfrider's campaign against offshore drilling at surfrider.org/drilling-is-killing

About the Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over one million supporters, activists, and members, with more than 200 volunteer-led chapters and student clubs in the U.S., and more than 900 victories protecting our coasts. Learn more at surfrider.org

SOURCE Surfrider Foundation