Photo by Nick Fain

WildCare is currently following two separate but related issues concerning the Tule Elk in the Point Reyes National Seashore.

In 2015, WildCare was one of the driving forces behind an advocacy push to make sure that the captive herd of Tule Elk on Pierce Point in the National Seashore was provided with sufficient water as a basic need.

This herd of elk are confined to the Point, held behind 8-foot fences that were erected in 1978 by the National Park Service (NPS) to separate this herd from the public land ranchers use for cattle.

We are currently in conversation with the Park Service and our partner organizations regarding the situation, and we continue to advocate that it is unconscionable to keep a group of animals captive and and then maintain a hands-off management approach. Instead NPS must ensure that they provide the herd with the basic resources they need to survive and thrive.

Stay tuned for action items to help the herd.

The other issue facing the elk in the National Seashore concerns the expansion of ranching within the Park.

The final environmental review of the park’s general management plan amendment has been completed, and the Park Service has chosen its preferred plan. Unfortunately that plan expands and prioritizes the rights of the few ranchers, at the expense of the elk and other wildlife.

Read the article in the Marin Independent Journal here.

WildCare is in consultation with partner groups, and is working on this issue affecting an endemic wildlife species to determine what can be done to protect the herd.

Please watch your inbox for updates and action items.