There have been two important updates in the saga of the Point Reyes National Seashore’s (Seashore) General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) as our community awaits the final decisions on this plan that will direct the next 20-years of ranching activities allowed in the Seashore.
First, a 60-day extension was granted to the Seashore for filing the Record of Decision (ROD), changing that date to September 13th. Pursuant to the 2017 legal challenge, the ROD was supposed to be filed on July 13th. This delay means that our community continues to wait for the final action in this process for another few weeks.
Second, on August 10th, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) and the Seashore announced a twenty-year General Agreement for government-to-government partnership, believed to be the first of its kind nationally. The efforts of the management agreement will focus on designations of Native American Traditional Cultural Properties eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and ensure Tribal views and traditional ecological knowledge are part of the management of the tule elk and ranching lands in the Seashore.
Greg Sarris, Tribal Chairman, said in a statement,
“This Agreement demonstrates the federal government’s respect for the Tribe’s sovereignty and self-governance, and the Tribe’s history within [the Seashore]. We are extremely happy and proud of this agreement and look forward to sharing, with the National Parks Service, the responsibility for restoring and enhancing our ancestral lands at [the Seashore]. This government-to-government partnership is a model for other tribes to partner with the NPS and manage federal lands within tribal ancestral territories.”
Craig Kenkel, Superintendent of the Seashore, said in a statement,
“The Tribe and NPS are now solid partners in the management of [the Seashore] in cultural resource protection and stewardship, traditional ecological knowledge, education, research, revitalization of community and tradition, and the overall stewardship of Park lands and places,”
EAC is supportive of tribal partnerships and inclusion in the management of the Seashore. The General Agreement between the two parties has not been released for public review; when that is made available we will share with our community and be able to comment on the new plan in greater detail.
Other tribal community members have expressed interest in participating in decisions regarding cultural preservation of Coast Miwok sites, rebuilding the roundhouse at Kule Loklo, treatment of Tule elk, and more. The Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin represents individuals who are confirmed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs documentation as the Most Likely Descendants of the area who should be included in a transparent and collaborative pathway forward to improve inclusion in this process.
LEARN MORE:
August 10, 2021: Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Press Statement
August 11, 2021: Seashore, Graton Rancheria Formalize Work Agreement, Point Reyes Light
