SANTA CRUZ — As the last of the state Legislature”s attempts to regulate hydraulic fracturing was all but gutted, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a moratorium the controversial oil production practice.

And it likely will soon make that ban permanent.

“This to me seems an excellent opportunity to consider the impact of the decisions we make now and how it will impact future generations,” said Supervisor John Leopold, who proposed the moratorium and will seek a permanent amendment to the county”s general plan. “There is a movement afoot and if the state Legislature isn”t going to accept their responsibilities, local communities like ours will take the lead.”

The moratorium addresses above-ground oil exploration activities, but is aimed at fracking and other new well stimulation techniques that have turned previously unprofitable oil deposits into boomtowns.

The vote was 4-0, with Supervisor Zach Friend absent for unrelated reasons. The board is likely to extend the 45-day moratorium to a year while it works on changes to the general plan. Already, county voters must approve any new oil facilities by a vote.

The vote was supported by a dozen fracking opponents who attended the meeting. Several more emailed or wrote letters of support.

“Santa Cruz can draw a proverbial line against this corporate rule of fossil fuel companies, and be an example for the rest of the state, and counties, and our nation and the world,” said David Neaves of Live Oak.

The industry group Western State Petroleum Association has criticized the county”s action, saying it will increase U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

In a letter to the board, Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, applauded the action, saying there were shortcomings with surviving state legislation. This week, several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, yanked their support of a surviving bill after several industry-friendly amendments.

He also urged the board to look beyond fracking into other well-stimulation techniques such as acidization, saying the chemicals pose an unknown threat.

“Whether they are injected into the ground under great pressure or minimal pressure, we know so little about these harmful chemicals and their potential impact upon our health and our environment that we must be very careful about any well-stimulation technique,” Stone wrote.

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