Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) defines the United States Outer Continental Shelf as all submerged lands lying seaward of state submerged lands and waters (as defined in the Submerged Lands Act) that are under U.S. jurisdiction and control. Under the OCSLA, the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the administration of mineral exploration and the development of the Outer Continental Shelf. The OCSLA has been amended several times, most recently as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In addition, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amended OCSLA Section 8 to give jurisdiction of alternate energy-related uses on the Outer Continental Shelf to the Department of the Interior. Direct data download | Metadata This item is curated by the Marine Cadastre team. Find more information at marinecadastre.gov.