Public Lands:
Restore Point Reyes

Point Reyes National Seashore is a world-renowned gem of our National Park System. We are fighting to address management failures that threaten the future of the park itself.

Native Tule elk—the iconic symbol of Point Reyes National Seashore—are found in no other national park. Unfortunately, most of the Tule elk are confined behind an 8-foot-high fence to keep them off parkland leased for cattle grazing.

Only a handful of America’s national parks permit cattle grazing. One-third of the lands managed by Point Reyes National Seashore —some 18,000 acres of Point Reyes and 14,000 of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area—is currently dedicated to the exclusive use of two dozen ranchers. There are 6,000 cattle in the Seashore, more than there are Tule elk on the planet. Cows outnumber elk in the park 10 to 1.

But the problems at the Seashore extend far beyond elk. Our campaign is fighting to reform management failures that threaten the health of the park.

We are raising awareness, inspiring public involvement, and taking action— including in the courts. Our goal is to require the NPS to follow the law—managing our national parks and the wildlife and resources therein for the benefit of current and future generations.

 In 2020, RRI produced a short film to document the ecological consequences of commercial beef and dairying ranching in the national park, the politicians who are fighting to continue ranching on our public land, and the grassroots activists who are working to restore Point Reyes. Watch the full film here >

Updates & News

  • NPS to Remove Contentious Fence: Rare Tule Elk to Roam Free for First Time at Point Reyes National Seashore
    December 2, 2024: In a long-awaited victory for park advocates, the National Park Service (NPS) will remove the two-mile-long, eight-foot-tall fence that confines a herd of rare native elk to Tomales Point, 2,900 acres at the northern tip of Point Reyes National Seashore. Read the full story here.

Help us to Restore Point Reyes.

Get involved in the movement. Sign up for our Restore Point Reyes mailing list to get up-to-the-minute news and updates on our actions at Point Reyes—including litigation and negotiations with the National Park Service and ranchers.