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.
• There should be a limit of 3 dogs per person.  It is not appropriate for the Park Service to create commercial permits for professional dog walkers.  Also, it is unlikely that most visitors with dogs will be able to keep control of more than 3 dogs at one time.
• Leash and voice control requirements must be strictly enforced throughout the life of the policy.  Otherwise proposed on-leash areas will become off-leash areas, as has already happened under the old rules.
• The goal of achieving 75% compliance with the leash and voice control requirements is far too low.  The Park Service should not be creating a system that expects and tolerates failure by 25% of the dog walkers.  Golden Gate Bird Alliance recommends a goal of 95% compliance with leash and voice control requirements.
• Remind the Park Service that while dogs are important parts of our families and communities, they are just one animal that is having a significant negative impact on thousands of other animals that rely on the park to survive.  It is fair to ask dog owners to accept certain limits for areas where their dogs may play when the survival and wellbeing of so many wildlife animals and plants is at stake.

Thank you for your continuing support of Golden Gate Bird Alliance and of birds and other wildlife in the Bay Area.  If you would like to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Lynes, Conservation Director, at (510) 843-6551 or at mlynes@goldengatebirdalliance.org