Grazing Waiver Adopted Unanimously: A Win for Cleaner Water and More Sustainable Ranching
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board expands oversight to 145,000 acres of rangeland, a significant milestone for improving water quality and collaborative land stewardship:
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has unanimously adopted the 2025 Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Grazing Operations* in the North San Francisco Bay Region.
The updated Conditional Waiver permitting program not only renews existing protections for the Tomales Bay, Sonoma Creek, and Napa River watersheds, it adds 88,000 acres of grazed lands—extending regulatory oversight to western Point Reyes National Seashore and the Petaluma River watershed for the first time. In total, the program now covers over 145,000 acres, strengthening water quality protections for grazing operations across the North Bay. It also authorizes an important new standard for riparian corridors, provides for additional monitoring, reporting, and enforcement when necessary, and assists ranchers with compliance via technical support and grant funding.
Expanding Oversight & Accountability
The 2025 Conditional Waiver brings consistent oversight to all grazing lands managed by the National Park Service, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and aligns with the National Park Service’s General Management Plan Amendment and water quality strategy for grazed lands. The Conditional Waiver also accounts for prospective land-use changes in 2026, including the closure of all six dairies. A conservation grazing program, co-managed by the Park Service and The Nature Conservancy, is expected to follow and will be covered by the new requirements.
Beginning in late 2022, the Water Board engaged with rangeland management professionals, Tribal leaders, local conservation groups, and the National Park Service through technical consultations, public workshops, and open comment periods. Nearly 100 public comments were submitted, reflecting strong community support for expanded protections, transparency, and accountability. Many of the ideas raised by the public were incorporated into the final waiver.
“I’m just so pleased that so many people have been able to work together, to improve the situation… This is a huge, huge step forward.”
—Dr. Andrew Gunther, Board Member, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board
Why it Matters
Expands regulatory oversight for grazing operations across the North Bay.
Protects vital North Bay watersheds from nutrient runoff, sediment, and bacterial pollution.
Supports resilient, well-managed grazing lands.
Reinforces watershed-scale protections that benefit people, wildlife, and ecosystems.
We sincerely thank the Water Board and staff for their dedication, expertise, and openness to community input. Their inclusive process demonstrates the strength of collaborative, transparent policymaking.
With gratitude,
The RRI Team
*The Conditional Waiver is not a waiver of permit requirements, but rather a type of permit that requires certain conditions to be met to waive the need for waste discharge requirements (WDR), which is another type of permit.
