The Big Lie — Point Reyes National Seashore and Ranching
Cattle trails on hillsides in the Seashore cause severe erosion and manure pollution of the adjacent bays and ocean.
CONGRESS NEVER INTENDED THAT RANCHING WOULD GO ON FOREVER
Contrary to the claims of some, there is no basis for asserting that when Congress passed the Point Reyes legislation in 1962 it intended that ranching would go on forever after the ranch lands were acquired by the National Park Service (NPS). The legislation didn’t address the issue at all. Furthermore, there is no point in debating the issue now because Congress addressed the issue in 1978 by adding language to the legislation stating that ranching was discretionary, not mandatory. That language provides as follows:
“Where appropriate in the discretion of the Secretary, he or she may lease federally owned land . . . which has been acquired . . . and which was agricultural land prior to its acquisition. Such lease shall be subject to such restrictive covenants as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of sections 459c to 459c–7 of this title.”
92 Stat. 3487 (Nov. 10, 1978); 16 U.S.C. § 459c-5. (Emphasis added.)
Clearly, Congress addressed the issue in 1978 and made ranching permissible in the Secretary’s discretionary, but not required.
Furthermore, the Secretary’s discretion is limited by other language requiring that Point Reyes be managed without impairment of its natural values.
“[T]he property . . . shall be administered . . . without impairment of its natural values, in a manner which provides for such recreational, educational, historic preservation, interpretation, and scientific research opportunities as are consistent with, based upon, and supportive of the maximum protection, restoration, and preservation of the natural environment . . . .”
16 U.S.C. § 459c-6. (Emphasis added.)
Ranching is impairing the natural resources of Point Reyes as is obvious to anyone who goes out there and looks at the ranching area. Consequently, NPS is violating its statutory duty under the Seashore statute. It is also violating the 1916 NPS Organic Act which has similar non-impairment language and applies to all national parks, including Point Reyes. The only way to stop impairing nature at Point Reyes is to stop ranching and manage Point Reyes like national parks are supposed to be managed with the overarching duty being the protection of natural resources, not the destruction of them. It’s time for the Park Service to perform its statutory duty by removing the ranchers, not the elk the ranchers want removed because the elk, like their 6,000 cattle, eat grass. The Seashore is a national park, not a private ranch.
