SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)— San Francisco will stop leasing land it owns in Kern County to oil companies following the Board of Supervisors' unanimous approval on Tuesday of legislation prohibiting the use of city land for fossil fuel extraction.
The legislation, introduced by Supervisor John Avalos earlier this year, prohibits the city from entering new leases of city property or extending existing ones for fossil fuel extraction.
Avalos introduced the legislation after learning the city is currently leasing an 800-acre property in Kern County to Chevron for oil extraction.
"We're headed for catastrophic changes to our climate if we don't reduce our use of fossil fuels now," Avalos said in a statement today. "With the pending Trump presidency, local leadership on climate change is more urgent and important than ever."
That lease, which expires in 2020, currently generates around $320,000 per year, a sharp reduction from the $952,000 the field generated as recently as 2011. The reduced revenue is due to reduced output and lower oil prices, according to city officials.
The revenues are divided evenly between the San Francisco Public Library and Golden Gate Park, according to the terms of the estate of Alfred Fuhrman, who bequeathed 1,480 acres to the city in 1941.
The city's real estate division has recommended selling the 800-acre parcel being used for oil.
In addition, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has determined that 484 acres of land in Kern and Fresno counties would be suitable for a solar power project that could generate more than $480,000 a year, offsetting the lost income from the oil field.
Avalos' legislation had the backing of environmental groups including 350 Bay Area, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment and the Sierra Club.