Coastal State Lawmakers Urge BOEM: No New Offshore Drilling Leases in Next 5-Year Plan

Bipartisan letter cites economic risks, environmental harm, and underused leases in call to protect U.S. waters.

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, a coalition of 107 state legislators from 19 coastal states and territories submitted a joint letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), urging the agency to refrain from expanding offshore drilling lease sales in the forthcoming 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The National OCS Program is a five-year plan that outlines where, when, and how offshore oil and gas leasing will occur in federal waters.

The letter responds to BOEM’s request for comments on the preparation of the 11th National OCS Program and draws on years of evidence regarding the economic, ecological, and human costs of offshore drilling. The legislators cite the enduring harms of disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which has resulted in the loss of over 25,000 fishing jobs, $700 million in labor income, and $160 million in state and local tax revenue between 2010 and 2020.

The letter outlines two core recommendations for BOEM:

1. No New Leases: The legislators request that no new lease sales in the Outer Continental Planning Areas be included in the 11th National OCS Program. With over 2,200 active leases already administered by BOEM, lawmakers argue there is no demonstrated need for further leasing, especially given declining industry demand and underutilization of existing leases.
   
2. Maintain Current Protections: The letter calls on BOEM to uphold existing presidential withdrawals and legal protections for critical marine areas from offshore drilling development, including Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea and National Marine Sanctuaries. The legislators state that oil and gas leasing in these areas would pose threats to critical marine habitats and state economies.

The lawmakers also challenge the narrative that offshore oil and gas development is essential for workforce and economic development, noting that the risk of spills and the associated damage to industries like fishing and tourism far outweigh any perceived benefit.

The letter concludes by urging BOEM to consider these recommendations when developing the 11th National OCS Program, stating, “the human, economic, and marine risks that spills and increased offshore oil and gas exploration pose will have detrimental impacts on our coastal habitats and industries, on which the whole nation relies.”

The letter was spearheaded by Maryland State Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo, Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr, New York State Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, and North Carolina State Representative Pricey Harrison.

The full letter can be viewed here: ncelenviro.org/app/uploads/2025/06/2025-Offshore-Oil-RFI-Letter-NCEL-Final.pdf

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Created by and for state legislators, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes over 1,300 environmentally-committed state legislators from all 50 states and both parties. NCEL provides venues and opportunities for lawmakers to share ideas and collaborate on environmental issues.