Help Make the GGNRA Safe and Accommodating for People, Wildlife, and Dogs

The National Park Service has issued its draft Dog Management Plan for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to accommodate dogs in the park and strike a balance of dog owners’ interests with those of other park users and the natural ecology of the park.  The plan allows for extensive off-leash and on-leash recreation in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties.  No other National Park allows off-leash dog recreation or even on-leash activities to the extent proposed by the National Park in its plan.

The hope is to create a place where dogs, dog owners, other park users and native plants and wildlife can coexist.  The status quo is unsustainable. Though the proposed plan isn’t perfect, we’re generally supportive of the GGNRA’s effort to better regulate this activity.

We encourage everyone to provide comments to the National Park Service before May 29, 2011

Click here to view Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s position on this issue, as well as our guidelines and a sample letter for submitting your comments.…

Join park supporters, preservationists, neighbors and environmentalists to learn about current construction plans for Golden Gate Park and what can be done to protect our open space today and for future generations.

Moderator:

Jim Chappell, Interim Director, San Francisco Beautiful; past Executive Director, SPUR;

Panel:

Anthea Hartig, PhD.     President, Western Office National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Katherine Howard, ASLA.    Landscape Architect; Golden Gate Park Preservation Alliance.

Mike Lynes.     Conservation Director/General Counsel, Golden Gate Bird Alliance.

George Wooding. President, West of Twin Peaks Central Council; columnist, Westside Observer.

Location: Commonwealth Club of California, 595 Market Street, SF.

Date:  May 11, 2011

Time: 6 p.m. networking reception, 6:30 p.m. program

Registration:  on-line at www.commonwealthclub.org or call:  415-597-6705…

Together Our Actions Add Up!

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Please help improve the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Dog Management Plan!

The Park Service will be taking comments from the public about the plan and want to hear from people like you to help prioritize management of the GGNRA and accommodate the needs of all park users.  The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Dog Management Plan is available at http://www.nps.gov/goga/parkmgmt/dog-management.htm.  At over 2000 pages, it can be a bit intimidating.  But the Executive Summary is much more accessible and worthy of review.

Golden Gate Bird Alliance has long been involved in trying to find the right balance for protecting the natural values of the GGNRA and meeting the demands of all park users.  We have continued to be concerned about the impacts of dogs, especially off-leash dogs, on the wildlife, habitats, and other visitors in the parks.  Over the years, we’ve documented that approximately 2/3 of dog walkers in the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area (WPA) ignore the leash requirements and let their dogs roam off-leash even while the threatened Snowy Plover is present.  The rates of non-compliance are even higher on Ocean Beach and at Ft. Funston.

We know that many dog owners enjoy walking and playing with their dogs within the GGNRA. But we also know that the National Parks exist to maintain the natural and cultural values for all people forever.  Too often, we have seen dog-related recreation push out other park users and result in significant harm to the local environment.  While we do not agree with everything in the proposed Dog Management Plan, we believe it is a good step in the right direction of balancing competing demands on the GGNRA while protecting park resources.

We encourage all of our members and supporters to  submit comments.  The deadline for submitting comments has been extended to May 29. We urge you to share your own experiences in the GGNRA, including your favorite spots and how dog-related recreation has affected your use and enjoyment of the park.  Even if you disagree with Golden Gate Bird Alliance on this issue, we encourage you to participate and provide your perspective.

Golden Gate Bird Alliance will submit formal written comments soon.  Currently, we are focused on five main points:

• All off-leash dog areas should be fenced for the protection of other park visitors and dogs.  Park visitors should be given a choice about whether they will interact with off-leash dogs.