Victoria Principal and Oceana Unite Against Offshore Drilling

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, actress, author and businesswoman Victoria Principal announced that she will double the impact of individual gifts by matching donations to Oceana up to $50,000 to help protect U.S. coasts from the dangers of offshore oil and gas.

President Trump's Department of the Interior aims to expand oil and gas leasing to nearly all U.S. waters, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, in the largest potential offshore leasing plan ever proposed. Principal, a dedicated environmentalist, is supporting Oceana's fight against these radical and shortsighted attempts to expand offshore drilling activities.

According to a recent Oceana economic analysis, the Trump administration's offshore drilling plan threatens more than 2.6 million jobs and nearly $180 billion in GDP for only two years'-worth of oil and just over one year's-worth of gas at current consumption rates.

"Oceana successfully protected much of the Atlantic and Arctic from new drilling in the past, but now those protections are at risk," Victoria Principal said. "Oceana knows how to win victories for our oceans, and I am making this commitment to encourage people across the country to join me in the fight to protect our coasts."

Echoing the importance of this partnership, Jackie Savitz, Chief Policy Officer, North America, said:

"This partnership comes at a crucial time. Oceana thanks Victoria Principal for her dedication and support to this critical campaign. Her generous gift-matching will help us maintain momentum and continue our aggressive strategy to win the fight against dirty and dangerous offshore drilling."

As of today, opposition and concern over offshore drilling activities includes:

• Approximately 250 East and West Coast municipalities
• Governors from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, Oregon and Washington
• Over 1,600 local, state and federal bipartisan officials
• An alliance representing over 42,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families
• New England, South and Mid-Atlantic fishery management councils
• Commercial and recreational fishing interests such as Southeastern Fisheries Association, Snook and Gamefish Foundation, Fisheries Survival Fund, Southern Shrimp Alliance, North Atlantic Marine Alliance, Billfish Foundation and International Game Fish Association
• California Fish and Game Commission, California Coastal Commission, California State Lands Commission and California Senate
• Department of Defense, NASA, U.S. Air Force and Florida Defense Support Task Force

Contact: Alex Armstrong, 202-467-1957, [email protected]

SOURCE Oceana