Summary
September 25, 2023
Tomales Point Area Plan
c/o Craig Kenkel, Superintendent
Point Reyes National Seashore
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Subject: Tomales Point Area Plan Public Scoping Comments
Dear Superintendent Kenkel,
On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on the Tomales Point Area Plan (TPAP) that seeks to establish management direction at Tomales Point for protecting natural resources, preserving historical and cultural resources, preserving wilderness character, and improving visitor experiences.1 These priorities are important to the County of Marin.
Removal of the Elk Fence: Agriculture Impacts and Migration Outside Park Boundaries
The County of Marin (County) has a rich agricultural heritage and relationship with agricultural operators within the Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore). As a result, the County requests an additional analysis to understand the holistic consequences of removing the tule elk enclosure, which may impact areas outside of the planning area, including the Seashore pastoral zone, Tomales Bay State Park, and private property within the County of Marin.
This is to ensure appropriate management and mitigations are in place in addition to the previously defined strategies outlined in the National Park Service (NPS) General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) or Record of Decision (ROD). Specific requests include the following:
Long-range analysis of potential migration routes of tule elk into the pastoral zone, Tomales Bay State Park, and private property within the County of Marin in order to mitigate impacts to pastoral agricultural operations and impacts to private property and County resources if elk migrate outside of the Seashore boundaries.
Clarify how the NPS GMPA and ROD apply to tule elk in areas adjacent to the planning area.
The GMPA and ROD provided a science-based analysis to reduce conflicts with agricultural operations. Will a similar analysis take place for operations adjacent to the planning area?
The County should be informed regarding consequences, intended or unintended, and negative impacts caused by tule elk to County responsibilities to rural communities related to agriculture, health, and human services outside of the planning area.
Tribal and Cultural Resources
We continue to support the partnership with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and NPS to protect the area’s significant cultural resources and the impact that this partnership will have on educating the public about the 10,000- year cultural history of Indigenous communities.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the TPAP that will update management guidance to protect natural resources, historical and cultural resources, wilderness character, and improve visitor experiences.
Respectfully,
Stephanie Moulton-Peters, President
Marin County Board of Supervisors
Cc: Marin County Board of Supervisors
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Alex Padilla
Congressman Jared Huffman
Chairman, Greg Sarris, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
Senator Mike McGuire
Assembly Member Damon Connolly
1Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Point Area Plan / Environmental Assessment Public Scoping Newsletter, Purpose and Need, page 5.
View the document
This document may not work with all assistive technology and is being remediated. For alternative formats, please email Talia Smith or phone 415-473-6358. To use the California relay service, dial 711.