Defending The GGNRA

Defense of Place has mounted a campaign to protect the legislative integrity of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) following the imposition of a disputed new General Management Plan by the National Park Service.  The new plan alters the description, access to and usage of many of the 80,000 acres that comprise the GGNRA, whose lands stretch from just south of Tomales Bay near Pt. Reyes, and down through Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Point Reyes Light  published an editorial by Defense of Place campaign leader Laura Lovitt Pandapas that describes the new plan that flouts the intent of Congress’s 1972 historic founding legislation and advances a public-private partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

The dependence on private donations tempts Congress to lessen public appropriations for crucial ongoing operations and maintenance of GGNRA lands and opens the door to outside agendas and influence. For instance, the Conservancy has taken license to “re-branding” the GGNRA  as the “Golden Gate National Parks”  for fund-raising purposes. There is no such entity.

The essay “Recreate-Gate and  the Public-Private Failure is available at http://www.ptreyeslight.com/article/recreate-gate-and-public-private-failure