Environmentalists reach landmark agreement with Point Reyes National Seashore, ranchers
Environmentalists scored a major victory Wednesday when the National Park Service agreed to revise its land management plan at Point Reyes National Seashore to better serve the area's native tule elk species.
Advocates for the elk have locked horns in battle with the National Park Service for years over the effects of cattle ranching at the pristine coastal site in Marin County.
For the last decade, the park service has attempted to allow ranching to coexist with the tule elk herds. Both the elk and farm animals like cows graze on the land and thus compete for resources, so the park service set elk population caps at between 120 and 150 elk depending on the year and left the option for lethal removal of more.
Now, after a settlement with the environmental nonprofits Resource Renewal Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Western Watersheds Project, the park service will be giving the elk free range -- literally -- and will dispense with any caps on their populations.
"This settlement is a major win for tule elk and Point Reyes' environment, wildlife and native plants," said Jeff Miller from the Center for Biological Diversity. "This is a historic opportunity to expand elk herds, restore coastal prairie habitats, and protect endangered species."
Though much ink has been given to the so-called "oyster wars" at Point Reyes between the park service and the Drake's Bay Oyster Company, which shut its operation down completely about a decade ago, the park service has for years attempted to keep roughly 28,000 acres out of 71,000 on the site for ranching, recognizing its long history there.
Ranching has existed on the site since the 1850s and was an instrumental part in creating the dairy industry in California, according to the park service. Not surprisingly, cowboys were there long before the area became a National Seashore in 1972.
Fast forward to the 21st century, by 2015, 15 private ranching enterprises for grazing beef and dairy cattle were leasing the land, much to the chagrin of environmentalists.
Due to pushback, public hearings were held in 2019 by the National Park Service to discuss six different management plan scenarios for man, elk and cow to peacefully coexist at Point Reyes, such as granting 20-year agricultural lease permits to 24 beef and dairy ranches, reducing ranching, and/or prohibiting dairy ranching.
The park service also wanted to remove the Drake's Beach tule elk herd but take no action against free range elk that competed with the cattle for grazing. A limit of 120 elk total would be allowed and the park service could use lethal removal efforts to maintain that cap.
At the time, the Center for Biological Diversity was a vocal opponent to the plans.
"The plan would destroy wildlife habitat, harm endangered species, degrade water quality and lead to killing of some of the parks most iconic wildlife, including tule elk," said Miller.
In 2020, the park service even entertained adding chickens, sheep, goats and pigs to agricultural mix when it released its final version of a report detailing how it wants to manage private ranching and tule elk herds -- a plan that the Center for Biological Diversity called disastrous, illegal and immoral.
By 2021, 152 tule elk had died in a year, one-third of the native species' population. A total of 478 total had died over the previous decade, according to Jack Gescheidt, an environmental activist who was part of a 2021 lawsuit against the park service.
Harvard University Law School's Animal Law & Policy Program got involved that year when it represented the environmental group In Defense of Animals in the suit.
The lawsuit was about a fence on park land that prevented elk from grazing in the southern portion of their habitat, which was leased to private ranchers. The fence was made to prevent competition for food between the elk and cattle, but opponents said it prevented elk from surviving by accessing food and water. Many of the dead elk showed emaciation and dehydration, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Now, under the new agreement, cattle ranching will still be allowed but will be significantly downsized. Twenty-year leases will be given to seven beef ranch families, with two more leases still being negotiated, according to the National Park Service. Sixteen former ranching acres will now be dubbed a "scenic landscape zone" and the elk will be able to graze freely and expand their numbers.
Ninety tenants on ranches will cease operations at Point Reyes within 15 months.
Eleven family ranchers agreed to retire their 12 ranching operations at Point Reyes and the ranchers are being compensated by the Nature Conservancy, a spokesperson for the Western Watershed Project said Thursday. The Nature Conservancy is a large, international nonprofit with deep pockets that promotes conservation.
Workers who are displaced due to the ouster will get housing financial assistance, severance and other support services.
"The National Park Service recognizes the important legacy of the multigenerational ranching families, whose contributions were important to the creation of Point Reyes National Seashore," said Point Reyes superintendent Anne Altman in a statement released by her office. "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the ranchers, the National Conservancy, litigation parties, and others who contributed to this pivotal agreement."