It is time to remove ranches from Point Reyes

After reading Judy Teichman's

letter about agricultural “extinction” and “the death knell for the historic ranches;” I think a bit of history is relevant.

The creation of the Point Reyes National Seashore was predicated on the buyout of 27 ranchers between 1962 and 1978, with the proviso that they would be able to continue to ranch for 25 years or, in some cases, until the original property owner died. At that point, ranching and agricultural use was supposed to end.

The sum of the public tax dollars used to buy them out was $57 million. Since they were compensated for the land, ranchers now have limited legal rights to the “historic family farms” that Teichman is apparently so concerned about. They are permitted to lease land at the Department of the Interior's discretion.

Studies show that some ranchers exhibited poor custodianship of the land. There is a history of bovine fecal contamination of local waterways and tributaries, as well as dangerous deferred maintenance of septic systems (which should have been enforced by National Park Service personnel).

Ranching on park land has outlived its value and usefulness. The National Park Service mandate states that it is “required by the Organic Act to protect and preserve unimpaired the resources and values of the national park system, while providing for public use and enjoyment.” This needs to be the primary focus in Point Reyes National Seashore, not agriculture.

We have done it one way and seen the result. It's time to try something different.

— Joseph Brooke, Point Reyes Station