Who We Are

The Save My Coast Coalition is a statewide coalition of local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community advocates working to defend California’s coastline from renewed offshore oil and gas drilling threats.

The effort was established by the County of Santa Cruz in 2025, continuing more than four decades of local leadership in coastal protection, and has been proudly joined by advocates with a history of preserving the coast for all.

Our Mission

To preserve and strengthen California’s permanent protections against offshore oil and gas development through coordinated advocacy, education, and public engagement.

We work with local governments and partners to:

  1. Protect the Ocean — Prevent new oil and gas exploration in or near California’s marine sanctuaries and coastal ecosystems.

  2. Defend Coastal Economies — Preserve the tourism, recreation, and fisheries that sustain millions of jobs and billions in annual revenue.

  3. Advance Climate Action — Align energy policy with California’s clean energy goals and the global transition away from fossil fuels.

Richard Charter

Richard Charter is a longtime California-based ocean advocate and Senior Fellow at The Ocean Foundation, where he also directs the Friends of Coastal Coordination project. He has spent more than four decades leading citizen campaigns to protect U.S. coastal waters—especially fighting offshore oil drilling and advancing marine conservation.

Santa Cruz County’s History Opposing Offshore Drilling

Santa Cruz County has long been at the forefront of California’s coastal protection movement.

In the early 1980s, when the federal government proposed offshore oil leases along the Central Coast, Santa Cruz County led the opposition — uniting local jurisdictions, scientists, and residents to protect the Monterey Bay.

Key milestones include:

  • 1981–1984: The County joined neighboring jurisdictions and environmental advocates to block new federal offshore lease sales.

  • 1985: Santa Cruz County voters overwhelmingly approved Measure A, prohibiting the construction of onshore oil support facilities anywhere in the county. The measure passed with 82% voter support, codifying the community’s opposition to offshore oil development.

  • 1992: The County’s advocacy helped secure the creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, permanently protecting more than 6,000 square miles of ocean waters from oil and gas extraction.

  • 2025: Facing renewed federal consideration of offshore leasing under BOEM’s draft 2025–2030 OCS Program, the County once again took action — establishing this coalition to lead a coordinated statewide response.

From those early campaigns to today’s coordinated coastal defense, Santa Cruz County’s leadership continues to inspire statewide cooperation to protect California’s natural heritage.