On Friday, September 18, 2020, the National Park Service released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) to the public. The Final EIS is the conclusion of the public process that would determine, if, where, and how ranching in the Seashore would continue to occur.
The National Park Service selected Alternative B, which would allow the existing ranch leases to continue for another 20 years; applies a new ranch land zoning framework into the planning area that defines the type and intensity of land-use allowed; requires new (to the Seashore) management practices to protect soils, water resources, vegetation, wildlife, and air quality; allows for new types of agricultural practices; creates pathways for new visitor serving uses in the ranchland zone; and outlines the tule elk population thresholds and outlines the Seashore’s plan to cull the elk if the population exceeds the Final EIS limits.
The National Park Service also modified several areas of the Draft EIS including removal of the options for boat-in camping along Drakes Estero, removing the option for the general public to bid for taking over future leases, and provided the financial framework for the public to better understand the plan for implementing and enforcing the plan. As we all know very well, anyone can write as many rules as they want, but one has to be able to actually enforce those rules.
We commend the Seashore staff for their efforts to develop this complicated analysis, during the most challenging times. Unfortunately, we are greatly disappointed that aspects of this plan have the ability to dramatically reshape the future of the Seashore in ways that we feel have not been fully considered.
WHAT’S NEXT
Now that the Final EIS has been released for public review, we encourage you to read it. To assist with this, our team is building tools we will share with our community to help understand exactly what is in this plan, what is at stake, and impacts that have been overlooked.
This is not over yet! This plan will become final when the Record of Decision has been issued; before that can occur federal and state agencies will be required to issue federal consistency determinations.
So, the Record of Decision is not being issued 30-days after the release of the Final EIS, and may in fact take much longer than anticipated. Furthermore, the Record of Decision does not spell the end of the process. If the National Park Service overlooked or incompletely analyzed impacts to park resources (examples: natural, cultural, visitor, scenic) or overstepped their jurisdictional or legal authority, there will be legal challenges.
We will continue to keep our membership and community up to date on this important issue in the coming weeks and months.
October 14, 2020 Tule Elk in Point Reyes National Seashore proposed Ranchland zone. Photograph by Morgan Patton.
