The National Park Service (NPS) is updating its management planning for the Tomales Point area of Point Reyes National Seashore with the Tomales Point Area Plan and environmental assessment. Development of this plan is based on the severity and frequency of two historic droughts in Marin County over the last decade and impacts to tule elk and other resources within the Tule Elk Reserve at Tomales Point. Current management guidance for this area did not anticipate these drought conditions or consider climate change. The planning area includes the 2,900-acre Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve and more than 85% of the planning area is within the Phillip Burton Wilderness. The park will collaborate with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to incorporate tribal views and traditional ecological knowledge throughout this process. A final decision for the Tomales Point Area Plan is anticipated in the summer of 2024. How is this website arranged? The first sections below are arranged chronologically with most recent activities at the top. Further below is background information, news releases, project timeline, and questions. Scroll to the end of the page for contact information and a citizen's guide to environmental planning. Environmental Assessment Public Review and Comment PeriodPlease see our Environmental Assessment Public Review and Comment Period page for more details and links to the plan for the 30-day comment period that began on May 6, 2024, and ended on June 5, 2024. Public Scoping CommentsPlease see our Tomales Point Area Plan Public Scoping Comments page to read a summary of the comments and the correspondence received during the 31-day public comment period from August 25, 2023, to September 25, 2023. Public Scoping Comment PeriodPlease see our Tomales Point Area Plan Public Scoping page for details on the 31-day public comment period from August 25, 2023, to September 25, 2023. Initial Public CommentsPlease see our Tomales Point Area Plan Initial Public Comments page to read a summary of the comments and the correspondence received during the initial 40-day public comment period from March 31, 2022, to May 9, 2022. Initial Public Comment PeriodPlease see our Tomales Point Area Plan Initial Public Comment Period page for details on the initial 40-day public comment period from March 31, 2022, to May 9, 2022. Background InformationPlease see our Tomales Point Area Plan Background Information page for information relevant to this planning process. News ReleasesPlease see our Tomales Point Area Plan News Releases page for all news releases related to this plan. Project Timeline
Events in bold above are opportunities for public engagement. QuestionsDoes the proposed Tomales Point Area Plan address beef and dairy ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore? Does the Tomales Point Area Plan address the free ranging tule elk in the Limantour and Drakes Beach areas of Point Reyes National Seashore? What does the National Park Service (NPS) do with public comments on the proposed Tomales Point Area Plan? How does the NPS make a final decision for this plan? If you have additional questions regarding the Tomales Point Area Plan, please call Outreach Coordinator Melanie Gunn at 415-464-5131. The Citizen's Guide to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a useful resource for those that are not familiar with NEPA or Council on Environmental Quality Regulations. This 37-page guide, published in December 2007 and revised in January 2021, describes the NEPA process and provides information on how citizens can get involved. |
Last updated: September 4, 2024