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Point Reyes National Seashore in 2002; Researchers Revisited the Park’S Resources in 2007

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Point Reyes National Seashore in 2002; Researchers Revisited the Park’S Resources in 2007 ® 9 00 ebruary 2 F POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE A Resource Reassessment ® Center for State of the Parks ® The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) initiated the CONTENTS State of the Parks program in 2000 to assess the condition of natural and cultural resources in the parks, and to determine how well equipped the National Park Service is to protect the parks. The program’s goal is to provide information that will help policy INTRODUCTION 1 makers, the public, and the National Park Service improve condi- tions in national parks, celebrate successes as models for other parks, THE POINT REYES and ensure a lasting legacy for future generations. REASSESSMENT 4 In an effort to track the conditions of natural and cultural resources through time, the Center for State of the Parks revisits parks KEY FINDINGS 6 periodically. The Center for State of the Parks first evaluated resource conditions at Point Reyes National Seashore in 2002; researchers revisited the park’s resources in 2007. Point Reyes National Seashore APPENDIX: METHODOLOGY 20 is the first park to undergo a reassessment by the Center for State of the Parks. Since the initial assessment of Point Reyes National Seashore, the comprehensive, peer-reviewed natural and cultural resource methodologies used by the Center for State of the Parks have evolved. Due to the inclusion of new resource categories and the re-evaluation of existing categories, it is not possible to directly compare the results of the initial assessment to those of the reassess- ment. It is possible, however, to convey current resource conditions, highlight continuing issues as well as new developments at Point Reyes National Seashore, and report on how the conditions of natural and cultural resources have progressed since 2002. A special note of appreciation goes to those For more information about the methodology and research used whose generous grants and donations made the in preparing this report, and to learn more about the Center for State report possible: MSST Foundation, Dorothy of the Parks, visit www.npca.org/stateoftheparks or contact NPCA, Canter, Ben and Ruth Hammett, Marty and Lee Center for State of the Parks, P.O. Box 737, Fort Collins, CO 80522; Talbot, and anonymous donors. phone: 970.493.2545; email: [email protected]. Since 1919, the National Parks Conservation Association has been Please note: Some of the information in this the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhanc- report regarding Drakes Estero has been ing our National Park System. NPCA, its members, and partners work updated based on the FY2010 Interior together to protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, Appropriations bill, which was enacted historical, and cultural heritage for generations to come. October 29, 2009. The rest of the information presented here reflects NPCA’s knowledge of resource conditions as of February 2009. * More than 340,000 members * Twenty-five regional and field offices Cover photo of Point Reyes National Seashore * More than 120,000 activists courtesy of Mark Rasmussen/istockphoto. INTRODUCTION MEGAN LOWERY 1 es National Seashore ey oint R P Point Reyes National Seashore, established in designated wilderness or potential wilderness, Point Reyes National 1962, is the only national seashore on the West constituting one of the most accessible wilder- Seashore’s varied habitats support Coast. It features windswept beaches, coastal ness areas in the country, and the only marine species ranging from cliffs and headlands, marine terraces, coastal wilderness on the West Coast south of Alaska. endemic plants to uplands, salt marshes, estuaries, and coniferous The staff responsible for maintaining Point endangered marine forests. Located on the Point Reyes Peninsula, Reyes National Seashore also manages the mammals. Estero de 40 miles northwest of San Francisco, the park adjacent Northern District of Golden Gate Limantour is pictured here. encompasses about 71,070 acres, stretched National Recreation Area, which encompasses across more than 80 miles of undeveloped 19,000 acres. coastline. Within the park, 32,730 acres are The Point Reyes Peninsula is situated along 2 Point Reyes National Seashore NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CATHY NORRIS the San Andreas Fault. The peninsula has resources. These include more than 300 historic shifted more than 186 miles in the last 10 structures and a variety of archaeological million years and continues to move along the resources, many of which are linked to the fault in a northwesterly direction at a rate of Coast Miwok people who inhabited the coast nearly two inches per year. Due to differing prior to Euro-American settlement. English geology and the park’s location on a peninsula, explorer Sir Francis Drake was the first to visit the landscape and ecosystems within the park the region in 1579, when his ship sailed near differ dramatically from nearby landscapes and what is now Drakes Bay. In the centuries that ecosystems in central California. Consequently, followed, the peninsula has been variously the park has a high rate of endemism—species owned and occupied by Spanish missionaries, that are found nowhere else. These include Mexican land grantees, and American ranchers. mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa phaea) and During the 19th century, the entire peninsula 3 Sonoma spineflower (Chorizanthe valida). was subdivided into tenant dairy ranches. Nearly 500 species of birds have been recorded Today, beef and dairy operations still exist on within the park, generating the greatest avian 24,000 acres in Point Reyes National Seashore diversity within the entire National Park System. and the Northern District of Golden Gate In addition, a third of the world’s cetacean National Recreation Area. species (aquatic mammals such as dolphins, Each year, more than 2 million people visit whales, and porpoises) can be found in the Point Reyes to hike the park’s 150 miles of es National Seashore ey park’s 22,000 acres of estuarine and marine trails, camp in the backcountry, attend ranger- waters that extend a quarter mile out to sea. led programs, kayak in Tomales Bay, watch oint R Lands administered by the park’s staff, wildlife, or participate in a host of other recre- P including those within Point Reyes National ational and educational activities. These visi- Seashore and those within the Northern tors generate nearly $90 million each year in District of Golden Gate National Recreation local revenue and support more than 2,000 Area, also encompass a variety of cultural local jobs (non-park staff). Point Reyes National Seashore offers an array of recreational ©GALEN LEEDS and educational opportunities. More than 2 million people visit the park each year, generating millions of dollars in local revenue. THE POINT REYES REASSESSMENT MEGAN LOWERY 4 es National Seashore ey oint R P Point Reyes is the only Center for State of the Parks researchers used ments at Point Reyes National Seashore, and national seashore on established, peer-reviewed methodologies to report on how resource conditions have the West Coast. The reassess the conditions of natural and cultural changed since 2002. park’s landscape and ecosystems differ resources within Point Reyes National from those on the Seashore. This reassessment of park resources mainland, largely due follows initial baseline work conducted by the to differences in Center for State of the Parks in 2002. The geology and its loca- following pages provide an overview of current tion on a peninsula. natural and cultural resource conditions, high- light continuing issues as well as new develop- Note: The following scores, based on a 0 to 100 scale, were prepared through a 2007 reassessment of resource conditions at Point Reyes National Seashore, using Center for State of the Parks methodologies (see “Appendix”). RESOURCE CATEGORY CURRENT NATURAL RESOURCES Overall conditions 66 FAIR Environmental and Biotic Measures 69 Biotic Impacts and Stressors 67 5 Air 86 Water 69 Soils 62 Ecosystems Measures 64 Species Composition and Condition 61 Ecosystem Extent and Function 63 es National Seashore RATINGS SCALE 0–35 36–60 61–80 81–90 91–100 ey CRITICAL POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT oint R P CULTURAL RESOURCES Overall conditions 68 FAIR Archaeology 68 Cultural Landscapes 60 Ethnography (Peoples and Cultures) 56 Historic Structures 76 History 82 Museum Collection and Archives 72 RATINGS SCALE 0–35 36–60 61–80 81–90 91–100 CRITICAL POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT The findings in this report do not necessarily reflect past or current park management. Many factors that affect resource conditions are the result of both human and natural influences over long periods of time, in many cases before a park was established. The intent of the Center for State of the Parks is not to evaluate National Park Service staff performance, but to document the present status of resource conditions and deter- mine what actions can be taken to protect them in the future. KEY FINDINGS relative sea level change, mean signifi- cant wave height, and tidal range. • Park staff continue to engage in a host of Animals, plants, and other organisms that significant restoration projects. They have currently inhabit the park could be forced NATIONAL PARK SERVICE removed invasive non-native plants, rein- to find new places to live in response to troduced endangered plants, and revital- rising temperatures due to global climate ized tidal wetlands. The park is reestab- change. Changes in sea temperature lishing access for coho salmon could also result in significant changes in (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead seasonal oceanic conditions, resulting in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to approxi- the collapse of food webs dependent on mately 20 miles of streams; both species seasonal coastal upwelling. 6 are protected under the Endangered • In April 2008, Point Reyes National Species Act. In addition, the park is Seashore became a member of the restoring 560 acres of coastal wetlands to Climate Friendly Parks Network, a joint Dune restoration benefit endangered species, reduce partnership between the National Park benefits the endan- flooding, and enhance water quality in Service and the U.S.
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