Help Protect Point Reyes Tule Elk Who Are Dying From Being Confined Behind Fencing To Appease Ranchers

Tule elk are a beloved native species essential to the ecosystem at Point Reyes National Seashore in California. The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for protecting them, but sadly, this federal agency is failing at that task — and numerous elk continue to suffer and die due to this negligence.

Tule elk are a native California subspecies, who were brought back from the brink of extinction after their population plummeted to near-zero during the 1800s. They now number in the hundreds — a conservation success — but their current situation threatens their population once again.

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the elk are protected by law, but the NPS is prioritizing the interests of private farmers and ranchers — who lease a portion of this public land for grazing cows — over the well-being of the elk by keeping them confined behind a fence.

For decades, the NPS has maintained the fence which restricts the elk to a specific managed area to prevent them from competing with cows for food and water. The elk are blocked off by the fence from traveling further in search of food and water. Sadly, more than 150 elk died in 2020 alone during drought conditions.

The government has a responsibility to conserve and care for protected wild species, but is instead prioritizing commercial animal agriculture interests over the needs of wildlife and public lands. The NPS is currently accepting public comments on their proposed action plan to finally remove the fence. The Tule elk need your help more than ever!

Please submit a public comment to urge the NPS to remove the fence that is blocking the Tule elk, as well as the private rancher grazing allotments which are incompatible with our national parks’ conservation mission.

You may say something like the sample comment below, but remember, personalized messages are the most effective.

“I support Alternative B to remove the fence confining the Tule elk herd and urge the removal of all commercial cow grazing from Point Reyes National Seashore to protect the park.”

Please submit your comments HERE! Thank you for your help to protect the Tule elk. (This action is for U.S. residents only)