Point Reyes Light - November 15, 2001
Park advisors back plan for Rancho ed center
By Patrik Jorgensen
Advisory commissioners for Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore have unanimously endorsed the conversion of Rancho Baulines to an education and research center.
Specifically, commissioners voted their preference for so-called Alternative C explored in an enviromental assessment of prospective uses for the historic ranch property at the Bolinas Wye.
The other two alternatives included doing nothing with the property, or fixing it up and leasing it to a residential tenant. The Park Service this summer kicked off the previous longtime tenant.
As approved, the recommendation for the site is "to provide for low-impact visitor use of the Wilkins Ranch for conservation research education opportunities, land management, and create a field research station for enhancing land management practices."
The Park Service plans to convert two residences at the site to a conservation-and-education center, upgrade other buildings, repair the sewage disposal and water systems, and improve public access to the property.
Limited public use
Park Service spokesman John Dell’Osso explained that the ranch would become more open to the public although visitation would still be limited. The draft document states that "groups averaging not more than two groups per month and not to exceed ... 30 persons per group may access the ranch on a reservation basis for education."
Commissioner Amy Meyer felt that the educational aspect should get more emphasis, and said the Park Service "should create an educational program that would [directly] benefit local school districts."
Commissioner Gordon Bennett, on the other hand, contended that the ranch is "inappropriate for widespread educational use."
The Park has always wanted the ranch used for education, Dell’Osso said, although Bolinas residents have feared an influx of traffic to the ranch, which is located at the cutoff from the highway to town.
"The Bolinas community did not want other groups to be part of the project, and the compromise is limited education," he said, adding that schools may get involved in some of the site’s research projects.
Loss of agriculture
When the previous tenant Mary Tiscornia was evicted in July after leasing the property for nearly three decades, there was public concern over the loss of traditional grazing and agriculture.
As a result, there would be some grazing at Rancho Baulines, using "advanced grazing techniques and applied research," states the environmental assessment. Dell’Osso said one goal is not only to sustain agriculture at Rancho Baulines but also to develop "restorative grazing practices" that would be useful elsewhere too.
So far, the Park Service has not decided exactly what such research would involve or who would potentially have cattle on the land.
Cela O’Connor, spokeswoman for the ad-hoc Bolinas Committe on Park Planning, said after the meeting that this could be a very positive thing for the whole area. "We [Bolinas and Dogtown] are surrounded by the park," she said, adding that the research proposed at the Wilkins Ranch could be a great way to establish future ranching procedures.
"We’re looking forward to working with the Park to develop a plan for the ranch," she said.
20 parking spaces
As for parking, the documents remarked that "daily parking ... shall be confined to existing parking area and limited to 20 spaces. No formal parking area shall be developed." Dell’Osso said parked cars would be hidden between two existing buildings and will not be visible from the highway.
Also, two existing hiking trails would be improved and maintained. The document states: "One existing trail would start at McCurdy Trailhead and transect the main complex to Bolinas/Fairfax Road. The second existing trail that would be used is part of the former road that traverses on the ridge south of Copper Mine Gulch. Both trails would need minor reroutes to ensure public safety and long-term resource protection."
Parking for hikers
Parking for the trails, Dell’Osso said, would be limited to the existing roadside pullouts at the trailheads. Hikers will not be allowed to park at the Rancho for trail access.
Some changes to the proposal, Dell’Osso explained, included limiting office space to nine park employees, rather than 20 as first proposed.
Three residences rather than two would be available to the so-called "park partners" doing research. "We don’t know who the park partners would be," O’Connor said, "but hopefully it will be publicly reviewed."
Dell’Osso said the Park Service received 106 letters from community members. Of those letters, he said, 68 generally supported the educational use of the site, two support leasing it again to a residential tenant, and 28 wanted the whole place just left alone. In addition, eight writers expressed concern without stating their preference, Dell’Osso said.
In the end, "there has been a big improvement" to the proposal, said Dogtown’s O’Connor, who added that this is "just the beginning. It’s gonna take more public review."
Dell’Osso agreed and said: "Before this is all said and done, we will sit down with the [BPUD] subcommittee to make sure we’re on the same page."