Tomales Point Area Plan Environmental Assessment Public Review and Comment Period

The National Park Service (NPS) seeks public comment for the Tomales Point Area Plan (TPAP) and environmental assessment that will update management of the Tomales Point area of Point Reyes National Seashore. The TPAP will replace the 1998 Tule Elk Management Plan and revise the 1980 General Management Plan (GMP) for Tomales Point. The 2,900 acre planning area includes all lands north of and including the tule elk enclosure fence. More than 85% of the planning area is within the Phillip Burton Wilderness. This plan is separate from the recent GMP Amendment, which addresses all NPS lands leased for ranching and the management of elk on those lands.

The TPAP will update guidance for this area with a focus on preservation of park resources, type and intensity of allowed development, guidance for visitor use and capacities, in addition to the management of tule elk at Tomales Point. The NPS is collaborating with Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to incorporate Tribal views and traditional ecological knowledge into the management of this area. The NPS preferred alternative includes removal of the tule elk fence and all temporary water systems installed during the most recent drought, potential opportunities to improve recreational uses and visitor experience at the historic Pierce Ranch, approaches to preserve and maintain wilderness character of the Philip Burton Wilderness in the planning area, and methods to better protect natural and cultural resources.

Public and stakeholder engagement have been important to the development and refinement of this plan and the preferred alternative.

An additional 30-day public review and comment period will end on Wednesday, June 5, 2023. The NPS will host a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 5 pm Pacific Time. See How to Join the Virtual Public Meeting below for more details.

The preferred method for commenting is online through the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website parkplanning.nps.gov/tpap.

Comments may also be submitted by mail or hand delivery to:

Tomales Point Area Plan
c/o Superintendent
Point Reyes National Seashore
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Please note that comments will not be accepted by fax, email, USB drive, or any other way other than those specified above. Bulk comments submitted on behalf of others in any form are not accepted.

The NPS hosted two other public comment periods with over 25,000 comment letters received in the summer of 2023 and over 4,000 comment letters during civic engagement in the spring of 2022. Public comment analysis reports and the text of all public comments are available for review.

A final decision on the Tomales Point Area Plan is expected in the summer 2024.

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How to Join the Virtual Public Meeting

The virtual public meeting for the Point Reyes National Seashore Tomales Point Area Plan and Environmental Assessment will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 5 pm Pacific Time.

Attendees can join by computer or by phone. The slides presented during the public meeting will be posted on the park's website afterward.

This virtual public scoping meeting requires pre-registration, and the instructions on how to do so are provided below.

Instructions for Attending the Virtual Public Meeting

For Participants Joining by Zoom Web Platform or Zoom App:

1. Pre-register using the following link:htps://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_mJYxRXSlTo2vdQYPsnjLBw
2. After completing the registration process, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the Zoom meeting.
3. On the evening of the meeting, please join using the information contained in your confirmation email, to include the Weblink, Webinar ID, and Passcode.
4. Be sure to click on the "Join meeting via browser" link that appears. There is no need to download Zoom to your computer or phone to participate in this meeting and the browser method is the optimal choice.

For Participants Joining by Phone:

1. Register for the meeting using the same link above.
2. On the evening of the meeting, call in using one of the toll-free phone numbers listed in your confirmation email. For higher quality, select an area code based on your current location.
3. You will then be prompted to enter your Webinar ID, which you can find within your confirmation email. Then press the # key.
4. Zoom will then prompt you to enter your Participant ID followed by the # key. However, phone-only participants will not receive an individualized Participant ID, so just press the # key.
5. You will then be prompted to enter your Passcode followed by the # key.
6. You will then be placed on hold until the meeting begins, and the host allows you to enter. Your line will be muted.

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