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In late 1999, the Point Reyes National Seashore initiated the update process for the Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area lands managed by the Seashore, which extend from the Bolinas-Fairfax Road north. In November, 2003, the Seashore issued a "General Management Plan Update: Concepts Newsletter 2003.

In the spring of 2006, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area began the process of updating the 1980 General Management Plan for the GGNRA lands in Marin County, south of the Bolinas-Fairfax Road, as well as the GGNRA lands in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Scoping workshops were held in multiple locations in April and May. The announced goal is a Draft GMP/Environmental Impact Statement by Spring 2009 with implementation scheduled for Winter 2010. For complete information, go to the website.

DOG MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) has begun a planning process to decide how best to manage dogwalking in the GGNRA lands managed by the GGNRA. Dogwalking in the Northern District of the GGNRA, from the Bolinas-Fairfax Road north, is under the management of the Point Reyes National Seashore and is not included in the discussions. As part of the planning process, the Secretary of the Interior appointed a Negotiated Rulemaking Committee to represent the various interests likely to be affected by a dog management plan. The Committee’s charge is to develop consensus recommendations on where and under what conditions dogwalking will be allowed at sites already identified by the GGNRA.

Following the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the GGNRA is concurrently engaged in preparing an Environmental Impact Statement on the impact of dogwalking at various GGNRA sites. The Negotiated Rule-making Committee’s recommendations are to be included in one or more alternatives for analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. Meetings of the Committee are open to the public. The first meeting was held in March. The next meeting date is September 21.

For more information about this process, summaries of past committee meetings and to review information provided to the committee at any of the meetings, go to link at left.

MANAGEMENT OF THE POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE AND GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA LANDS IN MARIN COUNTY

People who love the diversity of western and southern Marin County, and its rural and historical qualities, welcomed establishment of the Point Reyes National Seashore in 1962 and the establishment of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972. They were seen as a way to save the area from urban development, and there was widespread citizen involvement in development of the 1980 General Management Plan for the GGNRA and PRNS.

The National Park Service has updated portions of the 1980 General Management Plan relating to the Presidio in San Francisco and other very specific sites, but the GMP needs to be brought up to date as it relates to the undeveloped areas in Marin County. Updating the GMP for these agricultural areas and former militarybases requires addressing an unusually diverse range of issues that impact on equally diverse range of communities, everything from urban Sausalito to rural Point Reyes Station.