Editorial: Huffman wants to make sure Pt. Reyes promises to ranchers are kept

REP. JARED HUFFMAN is absolutely right to make sure that a promise made to ranchers in the Point Reyes National Seashore doesn't fall through the political cracks. In November, when Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar announced the end of the oyster farm's longstanding park lease, he also promised to provide the patchwork of ranches in the park greater long-term security. Salazar is retiring and his successors don't have to keep his promise. Huffman needs to use his office to make sure that Salazar's promise becomes policy, a legal commitment rather than a political pledge. The ranches deserve that security. Many are worried that if the Lunny family's popular oyster operation is forced to close, the ranches will be next. There have been environmental activists who have said that's their plan. Huffman knows the importance of the park's ranches to the economic viability of Marin agricultural industry. Those ranches make up about one-fourth of Marin's agricultural production. Huffman, who has carefully steered clear of the oyster controversy, is stepping up to the plate for the ranchers. He says they should be assured that their longstanding leases are strengthened to "maintain a viable agricultural community in West Marin in perpetuity." When the park was created, the National Park Service bought the historic ranches with the promise to lease the land and agricultural rights back to the ranchers. It has done that, but ranchers say they need longer-term leases and fewer restrictions. Longer leases are critical to ranchers' plans to invest. That's what Huffman hopes to secure. In November, Salazar stressed the fate of the oyster farm and the park's ranches are "separate issues." He directed the park service to extend agricultural permits for 10 years to 20 years, providing ranchers with greater certainty. While we'd like to see Huffman exercise his leadership in settling the seething political and legal battle over the oyster farm, his joining of debate over the park's ranches is welcome...more

The oyster farm was within a wilderness area inside the Point Reyes National Seashore. Are the ranches also inside the wilderness area? If so, that 20 year lease becomes very interesting.