Tell the National Park Service to stop killing elk

Ever wonder what NARN’s letter-writing parties are like? Aside from great food and excellent company, they involve writing letters based on templates like this one, which was created by Melanie, who co-hosted our letter-writing dinner last month. Thank you, Melanie!!

Source: https://www.change.org/p/cicely-muldoon-save-the-tule-elk

Stan Austin, Regional Director
Pacific West Region
National Park Service
333 Bush Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104-2828

Stan_Austin@nps.gov

Sample letter:

I urge the National Park Service not to kill Tule Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore in order to protect the profits of the beef and dairy industry.  Tule Elk, which are native to Point Reyes, were exterminated and then reintroduced by the National Park Service. Now the beef and dairy ranchers, which no longer own the land they occupy, want to extend their land leases and cull the Drakes Bay Tule Elk herd.  Please choose to protect wildlife over industry profits and select the alternative of no ranching and protection of the Tule Elk herd. Our National Parks are for nature not agribusiness.

Background:

• The Tule Elk were once thought to be extinct and have been a pillar of success in local conservation work. 
• Point Reyes National Seashore is now the only national park where you can view these animals. 
• Local beef and dairy operations, leasing 30% of the park, are pressuring the National Park Service to “manage” the wild elk, including their relocation off the seashore and even their lethal removal. 
• At a time where so much wildlife is already at stake, we ask the park to protect the elk and its habitat and NOT cave to industry pressure.

We are asking for:

• Under no circumstance shall the park kill any Tule Elk.
• The park should prioritize Tule Elk habitat.
• The park should refuse to grant 20-year permits and leases to cattle and dairy ranchers. Ranchers have overstayed their original permit limits already. Long-term leases will set a terrible precedent in favor of private, commercial industry and jeopardize the future of our parks and the health of the ecosystem.
• Absolutely no diversification of ranch operations. Any diversification (such as chicken coops, pigs, sheep, row crops, etc) will only serve to attract more predators like coyotes, foxes, bobcats that will be in conflict with ranch operations and have to be “managed” as well.
• The park should revoke permits for all cattle and dairy operations and restore the leased land to its original, pre-industry state. The park should prioritize wildlife NOT commercial interests!