The Surfrider Foundation says the new offshore drilling plan from President Trump’s administration threatens the $250 billion coastal economy in California, Florida, and Alaska.
The group said the 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.”
The foundation stated that 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 America, where most offshore drilling currently occurs, ocean-dependent tourism, recreation, and fishing provide the largest employment contributions in every Gulf state except Texas.
The group says that 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. They also insist that 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.
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 online before January 22, 2026. Check online to learn more about Surfrider Foundation’s campaign against offshore drilling.
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.
Republican Senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott led the entire Florida congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump: keep oil drilling off Florida’s coasts. Additionally, in October, Senator Moody announced she was introducing the American Shores Protection Act to prohibit oil drilling and natural gas exploration and development near Florida’s coastline. This legislation would extend the drilling moratorium, which includes the shores of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, from 2022 to 2032, and would codify President Trump’s September 2020 executive action that protects Sunshine State beaches. A bipartisan bill to protect Florida’s coastline and prevent offshore oil drilling was introduced in the House. The Florida Democratic Party also responded to the Trump proposal to open coasts to offshore drilling.
