Plan for Pt. Reyes ranches is misleading the public

In September of 2021, the National Park Service released its final plan for continued ranching in Point Reyes National Seashore, amid robust public outcry. One of the justifications included in the plan report was that continuing ranching is consistent with “Congress's long-standing intent.”

Page 3 of the document reads, “Recognizing that then privately owned ranches in Olema Valley were threatened by subdivision in the same manner as ranches on the

Point Reyes peninsula, Congress urged the NPS to acquire ranchlands and issue leases to ranchers who wished to continue ranching.” This is misleading.

The citation references the House Report from 1972. Here is what it actually says: “The Committee urges the Secretary to expedite the acquisition of these lands by promptly requesting the necessary appropriations to accomplish the task . ... Conceivably, some landowners might want to continue their ranching operations. If so, the Secretary has ample authority under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to lease the property back to the owner for such purposes.”

Putting aside that this is not law (it is a report accompanying the legislation), it is clear that Congress did urge that the lands be acquired, but did not, in fact, urge that the lands be leased back for continued ranching. Rather, the report merely acknowledges that this may be possible, presumably if it helps in acquiring the land.

Considering this, it is clear that the National Park Service is misleading the public on a contested aspect of the Point Reyes plan and does so by misrepresenting a decadesold, hard-to-find document. Of course, whether the continued ranch leases are compliant with the Organic Act, the Endangered Species Act and other relevant laws is the subject of two ongoing suits against the park service.