Threat To Oil Drilling On Protected Contra Costa County Lands Widens

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A sweeping federal proposal now threatens to reshape one of the Bay Area’s most iconic landscapes, forcing a collision between energy policy and environmental protection at Mount Diablo State Park

A long-simmering challenge to oil drilling near Mount Diablo State Park has entered a new phase—one that sharpens the legal stakes, widens the geographic scope, and pushes the controversial plan closer to a final decision.

At the center is a federal proposal led by the Bureau of Land Management to open more than 1 million acres of public land across California to oil and gas drilling.

The plan includes areas in and around Mount Diablo, where the federal government may control underground mineral rights even when the surface land is protected.

That legal structure—known as split estate—has long allowed the possibility of federal drilling beneath California parks. But the latest proposal has reignited fierce opposition from environmental advocates, local governments, and residents who view the mountain as both a natural refuge and a regional symbol.

In February, Save Mount Diablo advocates urged community members to submit public comments opposing the plan through its Action Network page. They said public input to the Bureau of Land Management is critical to protecting parks, wildlife habitat, and recreational lands.

Tens of thousands of comments poured in, many urging federal officials to keep drilling out of protected landscapes.

Now the situation has shifted in several critical ways.

First, the timeline has advanced. The public comment period has closed, moving the proposal out of its early review stage and closer to a decision.

Second, the scope has become clearer—and broader. In addition to Mount Diablo, the plan could affect nearby open spaces and parks across the Diablo Range, including Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Henry W. Coe State Park, and Pinnacles National Park.

The expanded footprint underscores how the proposal could reshape not just a single landmark, but a network of protected lands.

Third, the legal battle is no longer theoretical. Environmental groups now argue the plan may violate cornerstone federal protections, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act—signaling that lawsuits are likely if the proposal moves forward.

This is not the first attempt. A similar plan advanced during the Trump administration in 2019 was blocked in court, forcing federal agencies to revisit and revise their environmental analysis, KTVU 2 News reported.

The current proposal represents a renewed push, backed by updated review documents. That analysis itself has become a flashpoint. Advocates say the new environmental review downplays or dismisses risks, particularly around air quality, water impacts, and habitat disruption. Federal officials maintain that any impacts would be minimal and manageable under existing regulations, according to reporting by KTVU 2 News.

"You have, literally, some of the most important peaks in the state park being proposed as part of this effort to open up lands to oil and gas leasing," Juan Pablo Galvan, senior land use manager with the preservation group Save Mount Diablo, told KTVU 2 News.

State officials and agencies responsible for overseeing parks, including those responsible for Mount Diablo, have not taken a position.

The environmental non-profit Center for Biological Diversity urged the federal agency to amend its oil and gas drilling plan in California.

The actions would run afoul of a slew of federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the center said in a news release on Tuesday.

The organization said drilling is also proposed near public spaces like Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks, as well national monuments, forests, county parks, and beaches across the state. “Trump aims to turn some of the Golden State’s pristine public lands over to Big Oil, but Californians are fighting back."

The proposal now moves toward a final decision expected later this year—setting up what could become a defining legal and political battle over who controls California’s public lands, and what they are ultimately used for.

RELATED: Mt. Diablo Faces Drilling ThreatSave Mount Diablo urges public to oppose federal oil and gas leasing plan - Save Mount Diablo urges public to oppose federal oil and gas leasing plan.