Many Point Reyes cattle ranches have been around since before the area became a National Park, and many are multi-generational family businesses.
However, questions have come up in recent years about how these commercial farms are impacting the land that the National Park Service aims to protect, including the wild tule elk population that lives there.
Now, after years of litigation, twelve of the fourteen Point Reyes ranches will surrender their leases in exchange for compensation from The Nature Conservancy, an environmental group who has been working with the National Park Service. According to an anonymous source who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, the buyouts total $30 million. Around 90 tenants live on the ranches set to close, many of them are ranch employees.
After the ranches close, the park service will work with The Nature Conservancy to restore those lands.
Two beef ranches will remain and negotiate long term leases with the Park Service.
