Dear Editor:

We applaud Senator Diane Feinstein for her successful efforts to encourage the National Park Service to issue longer term Special Use Permits for the ranches on the Point Reyes National Seashore.  When the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin met with Feinstein’s staff last fall we expressed our support for the ranching community on the Point Reyes National Seashore and agreed that extending the terms from five to ten years was a step in the right direction.  The longer leases should improve the ability of the ranches to get loans and grants for infrastructure improvements to benefit their operations and the environment. 

EAC also supports the Seashore’s authorization to consider livestock diversification proposals from ranchers as a way to improve their long-term economic viability. We hope that Seashore develops a diversification protocol that upholds high standards of ecological protection while providing the flexibility that the ranches may need for long-term success. 

While EAC is aware that Superintendent Neubacher had worked with his superiors to issue ten-year leases to a few ranches on a case-by-case basis in the past, Feinstein’s success in making ten year leases the rule rather than the exception should help to ensure a long and flourishing future for the ranching community on the Point Reyes National Seashore.

Frederick Smith

Executive Director

Environmental Action Committee of West Marin