Marin Group Sierra Club stands with Resource Renewal Institute and Western Watersheds Project in opposing the expansion of industrial cattle ranching in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore. These lands were purchased by the American people to be a National Park for all, to preserve and protect this unique and special area for future generations. The reintroduction of the Tule Elk restores a keystone species that was lost. The Tule Elk, like Yellowstone's bison, are critical wild elements of this landscape and deserve protection and enlargement of their range as being vital to the restoration of the native plant habitat. Current ranch practices have fouled the water and beaches, destroyed native birds and deer, and brought fatal Johne's disease to the Elk population. It is a shame that the National Park Service, bending to political pressure, has put continued taxpayer-subsidized ranching over its mission to preserve and protect wildlands. It is heartening to note that over 90% of the public comments to the NPS favored elimination or reduction of ranching and expansion of Tule Elk territory. The California Coastal Commission also received over 20,000 public comments asking that the ranching leases not be extended, which resulted in the NPS withdrawing their application to approve lease extensions.

 

December 2020 article in the Pacific Sun by Peter Byrne -- an in-depth exploration of the history and issues of the Pt. Reyes National Seashore.