Barbara Boxer: “As with many of our national parks, monuments, and other protected treasures, the character and beauty of the Point…”

“As with many of our national parks, monuments, and other protected treasures, the character and beauty of the Point Reyes National Seashore are threatened--not by development or environmental degradation within the national seashore--but by proposed development outside the boundary line over which the Park Service has no control. The Point Reyes National Seashore Farmland Protection Act of 1997, which I am introducing today, is an innovative proposal which will ensure that the ecological integrity of the Point Reyes National Seashore is protected for future generations, while also preserving the property rights and historic agricultural use of the farmland in the area. The legislation establishes a Farmland Protection Area adjacent to the Point Reyes National Seashore within which willing farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity to sell conservation easements for their land. The Farmland Protection Area includes 38,000 acres of the eastern shore of Tomales Bay visible from within Point Reyes.”