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Of the 14 ranches at Point Reyes, 12 will surrender their leases in the next 15 months. Two beef ranches will remain in operation.
(CN) — A historic settlement agreement with the National Park Service will put an end to most cattle ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County by early 2026.
Under the terms of the settlement, 12 of the 14 ranches at Point Reyes will surrender their leases within 15 months of signing the agreement. In exchange, they’ll receive compensation of nearly $30 million, according to news outlet SFGate.
Six of the ranches are beef ranches, and six are dairy ranches. Two beef ranches will remain in operation.
Concerned about ecological impacts from the ranches, three environmental groups — The Center for Biological Diversity, The Western Watersheds Project and Resource Renewal Institute — filed lawsuits against the National Park Service in 2016 and again in 2022. The groups claimed that pollution from them was causing environmental degradation and harming the threatened tule elk population.
In 2022, the parties agreed enter mediation and seek a settlement. The Nature Conservancy, a San Francisco environmental nonprofit, helped broker the deal behind closed doors, according to the National Park Service.
“The selected action benefits native tule elk by providing increased habitat and disallowing lethal management of the tule elk population,” the National Park Service said in announcing the deal. “Tule elk will be managed as one herd in Point Reyes, and elk will be allowed to expand within the park.”
According to the settlement agreement, reached Wednesday, the National Park Service will rezone approximately 16,000 acres of former agricultural lands into a scenic landscape zone, which prioritizes wildlife management and the protection of Point Reyes’ natural resources.
Under the revised plan, tule elk will generally be allowed to roam freely within the national seashore and expand their numbers without a population cap.
“This settlement is a major win for tule elk and Point Reyes’ environment, wildlife and native plants,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “I’m proud of what this collective agreement has accomplished and I’m looking forward to the improved management approach it can usher in. This is a historic opportunity to expand elk herds, restore coastal prairie habitats, and protect endangered species.”
The settlement will also include assistance to the roughly 75 tenants working on the ranches, including transitional services, severance packages and housing financial assistant packages, the National Park Service said in its news release.
The settlement ends a decades-long land-use fight over the future of ranching at Point Reyes — one of only two national parks where private ranching occurs.
“This agreement marks a crucial milestone in safeguarding and revitalizing the Seashore’s extraordinary ecosystem, all while addressing the very real needs of the community,” said Deborah Moskowitz, president of the Resource Renewal Institute. “It balances compassion with conservation, providing essential support to affected ranch workers, tenants, and their families while ensuring that this priceless national treasure is preserved and cherished for generations to come.”
“As a National Park, Point Reyes belongs to us all,” Moskowitz added. “This agreement makes that foundational promise a reality.”
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