the Legislature (see map, Appendix III). William Press, Director, 

 Office of Planning and Research, requested a 3-mile buffer zone adja- 

 cent to the requested state boundary along the coast and around all 

 Southern California Islands. This zone would provide protection for 

 sea bird rookeries on Santa Barbara and San Miguel Islands and other 

 biologically rich areas, and would also protect the state tidelands 

 from excessive drainage caused by oil and gas activities. 



The State of California has also asked for a moratorium on leasing 

 in San Pedro Bay. Justification for this request included geological 

 hazards, poor water quality, aesthetics, air pollution impacts on 

 populated areas, damage to valuable sport and commercial fisheries, 

 and port congestion. Tracts in San Pedro Bay have consistently 

 drawn the highest bids from the industry because of the virtual 

 certainty of oil deposits. Royalties offered to the Federal Govern- 

 ment from the Bay tracts are 33-1/3%, not the usual 16-2/3%, because 



of the high chance of finding oil. Thus, there is great pressure 



12 

 from oil interests to lease and develop these tracts. 



PLANNING FOR PCS PRODUCTION 



BLM estimated in the Final Environmental Statement that as many 

 as 60 new platforms will be located off Southern California as a 

 result of Sale 35. In addition, Exxon is now completing construction 

 of a platform in its Hondo field in the Santa Ynez Unit, and estimates 

 that as many as three more platforms may be required to completely 

 develop the entire unit. The addition of two previously approved 

 platforms. Union's Platform C and Sun Oil's Platform Hillhouse, which 



27 



