Considering the market conditions for ranching, plus persistent challenges of drought and climate change at the Point Reyes National Seashore, the recent settlement agreement that will result in the closure of 12 ranches in the park was the only economically and environmentally sustainable option.

I consider the fact that it was reached through a voluntary agreement and compromise on both sides, rather than a court-ordered judgment, reinforces that the status quo was not working.

On Wednesday, January 8th, the Point Reyes National Seashore announced a Revised Record of Decision (ROD) for the General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) and Settlement Agreement on the management of ranching on public parklands. The signatories to the agreement are the the National Park Service (NPS), park ranchers who participated in the mediation, the Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Resource Renewal Institute (RRI), Center for Biological Diversity, and Western Watersheds Project.  

Last month, we submitted comments to the National Parks Service (NPS) regarding changes to the Tomales Point Area Plan. Once finalized, this plan will replace the 1998 Tule Elk Management Plan and the 1980 General Management Plan for the park. The current outdated management plan does not address key issues related to the management of the resources within Tomales Point amidst the current impacts of climate change. 

We have been involved in reviewing the plan and previously submitted public comments to NPS during the public scoping comment period in fall 2023. In our most recent comments, we are generally supportive of the removal of the elk fence (Alternative B), while raising several additional concerns.

We have been engaged in advocating to protect coastal resources and engaging in public processes related to ranch management in the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) for several years. Most recently, on November 16th, our Interim Executive Director, Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, gave testimony on the National Park Service (NPS)’s Water Quality Strategy Report (Report)  submitted to the California Coastal Commission (Commission). At the meeting, several others spoke to raise their concerns about water quality in the park. 

The Report was submitted to the Commission under the federal consistency determination process, whereby the NPS agreed to submit an annual water quality report to the Commission. 

Last month, the National Park Service solicited public comment for the development of a management plan for the Tomales Point area of Point Reyes National Seashore. The new plan, named the Tomales Point Area Plan, will guide how the National Park Service will manage the population of tule elk  located in Tomales Point.

It’s shaping up to be a busy summer for the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) public planning processes and updates. You can count on EAC to keep watch and participate in what’s coming up with our eyes on protecting coastal resources.  Updates on Tule Elk and Water Quality included.

We care about safeguarding our coast and ocean and ensuring resilient watersheds.

This issue came to our attention in 2017, when the Seashore opened a public process to update its General Management Plan (GMP) to take a hard look at the potential for ranching operations to continue operating in the Seashore. If those operations were slated to continue, then the Seashore would need to update management practices and regulatory standards for operators if they desired to maintain beef and dairy ranching in the Seashore.

The California Coastal Commission (Commission) evaluated the National Park Service's (NPS') draft Water Quality Strategy on September 8, 2022. Leading up to the meeting, the Commission released their Staff Report on August 19th for public comment and input. The Commission received more than 18,000 public comments, with more than 17,800 requesting the Commission revoke the April 2021 approval of the GMPA.

The Water Quality Strategy outlines the strategies the NPS will undertake each year to ensure that coastal resources are protected to the maximum extent practicable.

EAC Recommends the Water Quality Strategy NOT BE APPROVED unless changes are made.

The National Park Service (NPS) released their much anticipated Water Quality Strategy (Strategy) for public review and approval by the Coastal Commission (Commission) on September 8th regarding the Point Reyes National Seashore.

The Strategy is a required Condition of the Commission’s Federal Consistency Determination from April 2021 to ensure the General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) is consistent with the enforceable policies of California’s Coastal Management Program–Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act–to protect, enhance, and restore marine resources, sensitive habitat, maintain healthy populations of species and biological productivity and quality of coastal waters, streams, wetlands, estuaries, and lakes.

On April 7, 2022, the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) sought approval from the California Coastal Commission (Commission) for proposed strategies to improve and protect water quality and reduce climate emissions during the implementation of the General Management Plan Amendment that authorizes continued dairy and beef ranching.

The Commission rejected the proposed strategies as incomplete and requested that the Seashore staff work with the Commission staff to update the strategies and return in the Summer for review and potential approval. The Commission remains engaged with the Seashore and did not make any decisions to reopen the April 2021 Federal Consistency Determination.

March 11, 2022 - The California Coastal Commission (Commission) rejected a request from the Point Reyes National Seashore to delay returning to the Commission in April 2022 with a water quality strategy for public review and Commission review and approval.

Several Commissioners expressed their concerns with the request by the Seashore for an extension based on the overwhelming public interest in the Seashore’s General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA). Last year, when the Commission approved the Federal Consistency Determination, the approval was based on a narrow margin (5 to 4) in favor. The approval votes were based on the Commission Staff recommendations in the Staff Report and additional conditions that the Commissioner’s added during the public hearing.

New year and new developments for the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) to report…

In December, the Seashore released the tule elk population counts for the Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve with a final 2021 count of 221 elk. This is a decrease from the 2020 count of 293 elk. In the same press release, the Seashore also announced that they will undertake a new management plan for Tomales Point to begin by March 31, 2022. This announcement complicates the June 2021 lawsuit filed by the Harvard Law School’s Animal Law and Policy Clinic for the Seashore to enact plans to ensure the elk in the Reserve have access to food and water. Last week, the United States attorney office responded to the lawsuit, arguing that the lawsuit’s connection to the 2021 General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) was wrong, and that the grievance is directly related to the 1998 Elk Plan, which is being addressed by the Seashore in the coming months.

In January, a new lawsuit was filed by Resources Renewal Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Western Watersheds seeking for the GMPA and Record of Decision to be reversed, set aside, and vacated.

The Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) finalized their controversial General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) on September 13, 2021 with the filing of the Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD included some changes to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) that was posted for public review in September 2020 and includes modifications to some areas of the Final EIS regarding lease length, ranch operating agreements, diversification, elk management, silage production, and succession.

The GMPA process determines the next two decades of management of the Seashore and it is critical that accountability and transparency are built into the final plans to provide a clear framework for future management decisions for those who remain privileged to hold commercial leases within the Seashore.

Since the filing of the ROD, we have created a lengthy evaluation and comparison of what has changed since NPS selected Final EIS Alternative B last year as a factual resource for our membership community. (Warning! A lengthy review below!) We developed this resource to break down some of the environmental concepts and complexities of the plan for our community. As the implementation of the GMPA moves forward, you can count on EAC to be engaged in the process to ensure accountability, transparency, and delivery of the promises that NPS has made to the public.

The Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) finalized the controversial General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) on September 13th with the filing of the Record of Decision (ROD). The GMPA is the public process the Seashore started in 2018 to determine where, how, and for how long ranching operations may continue. The ROD included some changes to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) that was posted for public review in September 2020 and includes modifications to some areas of the Final EIS regarding lease length, ranch operating agreements, diversification, elk management, silage production, and succession.

There have been two important updates in the saga of the Point Reyes National Seashore’s (Seashore) General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) as our community awaits the final decisions on this plan that will direct the next 20-years of ranching activities allowed in the Seashore.

The Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) requested a 60-day delay to file the Record of Decision (ROD) on their General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The Seashore cited several reasons in requesting the delay, indicating complications associated with scheduling a hearing on the plan with the California Coastal Commission, the transition to a new federal administration and the need for review and approval by officials in the Department of Interior prior to being finalized. Once the new administration is able to provide approval and review of the complex documents then the ROD will be filed.

The California Coastal Commission (CCC) reviewed the National Park Service’s (NPS) amendment to the Point Reyes National Seashore’s General Management Plan (GMPA) on Earth Day on April 22nd. EAC participated along with public officials and agencies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals that expressed serious concerns or support of the GMPA.

Today, the National Park Service (NPS) will make their case to the California Coastal Commission (Commission) to obtain a federal consistency determination for their General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) that intends to update management guidance for more than 28,000 acres of NPS lands, including all lands currently leased for ranching and tule elk in those areas.

Thank you to our membership that submitted comments on this plan. The Commission is reporting more than 40k comments have been received nationally on this plan.

Read EAC’s Comments here

The National Park Service (NPS) is in the process of finalizing the Point Reyes National Seashore’s General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA). On April 22nd, NPS will make their case to the California Coastal Commission to obtain a federal consistency determination. All federal activities that affect the coastal zone must be consistent with the enforceable policies of the state’s certified program.

Submit your comments by April 16th.

The Coastal Commission (Commission) provided a public notice that the January 14th hearing to review the federal consistency of the Point Reyes National Seashore’s General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) has been postponed.