Effort Underway To Legislate Cattle's Place At Point Reyes National Seashore

Last week we told you about the National Park Service's efforts at Point Reyes National Seashore to settle on how best to manage cattle ranching. While the Park Service's options run from continued ranching unchanged to removing cattle from the seashore, there's an effort well underway in Congress to legislate that industry's place at the seashore. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, though Rep. Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, quickly jumped on as a cosponsor. Ranching within the Point Reyes peninsula dates to the mid-1800s. Following the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Park Service purchased the land from ranching families, who in many cases continued to ranch under time-limited reservations of use and occupancy. As the reservations expired, the Park Service continued to authorize ranching and dairying with agricultural lease/special use permits. Currently, 24 ranching operations are authorized at Point Reyes under lease/permits, which set terms and conditions for the protection of natural and cultural resources. However, in February 2016 litigation was brought against the Park Service related to an ongoing ranch planning process and the use of lands in the seashore for ranching and dairying. Reps. Huffman and Bishop, however, opted to force the Park Service's hand. This past August the California Democrat introduced a bill to "direct the Secretary of the Interior to manage the Point Reyes National Seashore in the State of California consistently with Congress’ long-standing intent to continue to authorize working dairies and ranches on agricultural property as part of the seashore’s unique historic, cultural, scenic and natural values, and for other purposes." It quickly passed not only through the House Natural Resources Committee with Rep. Bishop's help, but through the entire House in late September on a voice vote. The bill gives cattle the edge over the native elk population at the national seashore. "In areas of agricultural property where Tule Elk present conflicts with working ranches or dairies, the Secretary shall manage the Tule Elk for separation from the working ranches or dairies," it reads. Further, the bill calls for tribes to work with Interior to manage the elk population, either by relocating elk to tribal lands or hunting them "on a subsistence or ceremonial basis." The amended bill also allows the Interior secretary to resort to other methods for controlling elk at Point Reyes...MORE