elk_crisis_point_reyes_national_seashore
Ranchers in Point Reyes National Seashore say growing herds of tule elk, some of which now graze alongside cattle, are posing an immediate threat to their financial viability. Seashore officials say they need to develop a new management plan before taking action.    David Briggs

Ranchers and officials in Point Reyes National Seashore are at loggerheads over the growing presence of free-ranging tule elk, which ranchers say are costing them tens of thousands of dollars in damages annually and threatening their very survival. The National Park Service says it doesn’t have a valid management plan to address the encroachment of elk into the pastoral zone, and that it is gathering data and applying for funding to write a new plan.