Summary

• Authorized 31 leases for the use of public lands and resources.
• Authorized six bond or rent revisions and four lease amendments.
• Authorized the removal and disposal of three abandoned vessels, three barges, and other debris in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta.
• Authorized staff to pursue critical fuel reduction projects to reduce wildfire risk.
• Issued one geological survey permit and one geophysical survey permit.

Ormond Beach Generating Station

The Commission considered a lease amendment for the continued use, until December 31, 2026, of seawater conduits associated with the Ormond Beach Generating Station in the City of Oxnard. The generating station is under contract with the Department of Water Resources to provide power and electrical reliability during extreme events. The commissioners expressed their sincere gratitude and respect for the community members who spoke at the meeting. The Commission deferred action on the lease amendment. Consideration of the lease amendment is on the Commission’s April 14 special meeting agenda.

Eel River Estuary

The Commission issued a lease to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to restore 550 acres of tidal marsh habitat in the Eel River. The restoration is expected to improve public access, public safety, and enhance recreation. The project involves constructing a setback levee to improve flood protection for nearby agricultural lands and enhance emergency transportation access. It is also intended to improve the region’s adaptability and resiliency to climate change impacts.

Coho Salmon Recovery: Klamath River Estuary

The Commission issued a lease to the Yurok Tribe to restore fish spawning habitat at the Klamath River, including salmonids and endangered coho salmon. The restoration is consistent with recovery plans to reverse declining coho salmon and improve the ecosystems they depend on to enhance their recovery.

South Yuba River

The Commission issued a lease to the South Yuba Citizens League to restore and rehabilitate the bed of the Yuba River channel and floodplain to improve wildlife and aquatic habitats. This ecosystem-enhancement lease is intended to diversify anadromous salmonid habitat and increase the natural production of fall-and-spring-run Chinook Salmon and Central Valley steelhead in the Lower Yuba River.

Chevron 4 H Shell Mounds offshore Santa Barbara

Staff presented a report that summarizes the effects on public trust resources and values of leaving the shell mounds in place versus removing them. The report was developed in response to a proposal by Chevron to quitclaim (i.e., voluntarily surrender) two oil and gas leases and allow the shell mounds to remain in place. As background, Chevron decommissioned platforms Hazel, Heidi, Hilda, and Hope, known as the 4H platforms, in 1996. At that time, the shell mounds (remnant debris under each platform created from well cuttings covered by layers of marine sediment) remained in place subject to a monitoring program and commercial fishing stipulations. The Commission’s report, independently peer-reviewed by Ocean Science Trust selected scientists, assesses over 40 years of site studies. Notable findings include that potential contaminants within the shell mounds appear to remain sequestered and are not dispersing into the marine environment, though some risk of contaminant release remains in the event of a significant seismic event.

Future Meetings and Ways to Stay Informed

The Commission is having a special meeting on April 14 at 11 a.m. Its next regular meeting is on June 20. You can sign up to receive updates about future meetings or follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, X, and YouTube. You can also watch a webcast of the February meeting and past meetings on Cal-Span.