Coast Residents rally against offshore drilling at Big River Beach

MENDOCINO, CO., 9/27/26 – For Liz Helenchild, the fight against offshore oil drilling isn’t abstract policy. It’s personal.

“This is deeply, deeply my home, and it is clear to me that I have to go to the mat to protect and maintain the territory, protect and maintain the food supply, protect and maintain the scenic beauty,” said Helenchild, who has lived on the Mendocino Coast since 1970 after moving from Texas. “Our economy here absolutely depends upon it.”