"A historic settlement is phasing out most cattle production at Point Reyes National Seashore, but opponents hope the Trump administration will change course."
"POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, California — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a wellness influencer and a pioneering dairy farmer joined forces earlier this year to upend a landmark deal that stopped most cattle operations at this park north of San Francisco.
In January, a decadelong fight over whether cattle nurtured or damaged a pastoral park on the Pacific Ocean appeared to close with a settlement that retired most of the cattle ranches and dairy farms. Now, even as barns come down and families move away, a small group of ranchers aligned with Kennedy is urging the Trump administration to again rewrite the Point Reyes story and order the National Park Service to re-embrace the region’s ranching roots.
“It was the first glimmer of hope that I had that we could do something,” said Albert Strauss, a dairyman in the region who first helped get Kennedy involved.
Point Reyes National Seashore lies on the coast north of the Golden Gate Bridge, where the skies are often moody and overcast, and the people in Marin and Sonoma counties vote blue far more often than red. Eclectic beach towns nestle in the inlets and bays, with restaurants that boast of locally sourced food. Some elementary school students drink local organic milk, and tule elk roam the seashore’s steep slopes."
Heather Richards reports for E&E News October 27, 2025.
Advertisement 
