Whereas, petroleum is essential to California’s transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, national defense, public safety, supply chain, construction, medicine, and countless products used in daily life;

Whereas, shutting down responsible local oil and gas production will not end California’s need for petroleum, but will make our state more dependent on oil produced in foreign countries where oil and gas is not produced according to California’s strict environmental standards;

Whereas, locally produced oil and gas supports California workers, families, businesses, public services, and greater energy independence;

Whereas, dependence on foreign oil enriches regimes overseas which also lack California’s respect for human rights and may actually support global terrorism with their oil revenue;

Whereas, in 2014, Santa Barbara County voters overwhelmingly rejected Measure P, a proposed ban on certain oil production methods, with 61 percent voting no;

Whereas, oil and gas mineral and royalty interests are private property rights protected by the United States and California Constitutions;

Whereas, oil and gas deposits cannot be relocated, and preventing their lawful production eliminates the value of property belonging to royalty and mineral owners;

Whereas, royalty owners include ordinary California families, retirees, farmers, ranchers, and heirs who rely upon income from property that has been passed down through generations;

Whereas, that valuable income has allowed many royalty owners to maintain animal grazing operations and in so-doing, to retain the natural habitat of their land instead of converting it to more intensive activities which would disrupt or destroy important habitat which supports native wildlife;

Whereas, Santa Barbara County should not expose its taxpayers to costly litigation or substantial financial liability by attempting to take or eliminate vested property rights without just compensation;

Therefore, be it resolved that we, the undersigned, call upon the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to:

Reject any ordinance intended to phase out oil and gas production in Santa Barbara County;

Respect and protect the constitutional and vested property rights of mineral and royalty owners;

Recognize the continuing importance of petroleum to California’s economy, public services, and daily life;

Support safe, responsible local energy production instead of increasing California’s dependence upon foreign oil; and

Refrain from adopting further restrictions on oil and gas production.