Point Reyes National Seashore has the potential to be restored to a whole ecosystem, like a Yellowstone National Park of the Pacific coast. On a few field trips we saw and photographed tule elk, black-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes, badgers, and harbor seals basking on a beach. The wildlife-viewing opportunities are world-class.
In addition, many rare and sensitive species make their home here: coho salmon, red-legged frogs, snowy plovers, Myrtle’s silverspot butterfly, and the newly state-protected tricolored blackbird.
In the land where giant grizzlies once roamed, Point Reyes National Seashore should be given the opportunity to heal from decades of commercial agriculture, and the farmers here should honor their agreements to move to private lands to continue their operations.
See the June 2021 Biological Opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Superintendent of Point Reyes National Seashore over the management of sensitive species in the General Management Plan Amendment that was approved for the ranch zones. This is called consultation. Unfortunately, the Service was not strict enough with the park service, and gave a pass on cattle impacts to many imperiled species.
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Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area harbor a wide diversity of protected species: threatened California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) and its critical habitat, the threatened western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrines nivosus) and its critical habitat, the endangered Myrtle’s silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene myrtleae), the endangered California freshwater shrimp (Syncaris pacifica), the threatened beach layia (Layia carnosa), the threatened Marin dwarf flax (Hesperolinon congestum), the endangered showy Indian clover (Trifolium amoenum), the endangered Sonoma alopecurus (Alopecurus aequalis var. sonomensis), the endangered Sonoma spineflower (Chorizanthe valida), the endangered Tiburon paintbrush (Castilleja affinis ssp. neglecta), and the endangered Tidestrom’s lupine (Lupinus tidestromii). Notably the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), its critical habitat, is also present in the park.
Aplodontia, the mountain beaver.
Hundreds of subsidized ravens can be seen hanging out at cattle water troughs, at Confined Animals Feeding Operations, open alfalfa hay feeding stations, barn areas, and scavenging animals killed during silage harvesting. The raven population would not be this high naturally. Cattle operations provide for a surplus of ravens, which predate snowy plovers. A study found that common ravens (Corvus corax) were concentrated at ranches at Point Reyes National Seashore and focused much of their foraging effort in those areas. The most prevalent habitats associated with raven foraging were grazed grass, dunes, and cattle feeding areas. The most prevalent food items identified were small animals, including birds, rodents, and reptiles; calf carcasses and afterbirth; and grain. Preliminary results suggested that a few ravens specialized on common murre (Uria aalge) colonies, while many individuals visited snowy plover nesting areas.
Snowy plover chicks and egg.
Photo: Skyler Thomas.
Photo: Jim Coda.
Ravens scavenging at silage harvest on the Seashore. Photo: Skyler Thomas, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO_Mm55ydBY&feature=emb_logo.
These rare, threatened or endangered Point Reyes National Seashore plants are associated with the sensitive coastal prairie community, valley grassland, and associated wetlands and meadows, and north coastal scrub according to Calflora (https://www.calflora.org ):
• Blasdale’s bent grass (Agrostis blasdalei)--Coastal Strand, Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub; California Native Plant Society (CNPS) rare plant ranking 1B.2.
• Sonoma alopecurus (Alopecurus aequalis var. sonomensis)-- Freshwater Wetlands; Federally Endangered.
• Thurber's reed grass (Calamagrostis stricta ssp. inexpansa)-- Freshwater Wetlands, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 2.1. 20
• Nodding Semaphore Grass (Pleuropogon refractus)--riparian, meadows; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Buxbaum's sedge (Carex buxbaumii)--Coastal Prairie, meadows, wetlands; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Tiburon paintbrush (Castilleja affinis ssp. neglecta)--Valley Grassland; Federally Endangered.
• Humboldt bay owl's clover (Castilleja ambigua ssp. humboldtiensis)--Coastal Salt Marsh, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Point Reyes blemnosperma (Blennosperma nanum var. robustum)- -Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub, wetland-riparian; California state rare, CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Supple daisy (Erigeron supplex)--Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub.
• Point Reyes birds’ beak (Chloropyron maritimum ssp. palustre)-- Coastal Salt Marsh, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• San Francisco bay spineflower (Chorizanthe cuspidata var. cuspidata)--Coastal Strand, Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Wooly-headed Spineflower (Chorizanthe cuspidata var. villosa)-- Coastal Strand, Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Sonoma spineflower (Chorizanthe valida)--Coastal Prairie; Federally Endangered, California state Endangered.
• Bolander's water hemlock (Cicuta maculata var. bolanderi)-- Coastal Salt Marsh, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 2.1.
• Franciscan Thistle (Cirsium andrewsii)--Northern Coastal Scrub, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• San Francisco wallflower (Erysimum franciscanum)--Coastal Strand, Valley Grassland, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Fragrant fritillary (Fritillaria liliacea)--Coastal Prairie, Valley Grassland, Northern Coastal Scrub, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• San Francisco hairy gumplant (Grindelia hirsutula var. maritima)-- Valley Grassland, Northern Coastal Scrub, Coastal Sage Scrub, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 3.2.
• Short-leaved Evax (Hesperevax sparsiflora var. brevifolia)-- Coastal Strand, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Marin western flax (Hesperolinon congestum)--Chaparral, Valley Grassland; Federally Threatened, California state Threatened.
• Point Reyes horkelia (Horkelia marinensis)--Coastal Strand, Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Perennial goldfields (Lasthenia californica ssp. macrantha)-- Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2. 63
• Large-flower leptosiphon (Leptosiphon grandiflorus)--Coastal Strand, Northern Coastal Scrub, Coastal Sage Scrub, Valley Grassland, Coastal Prairie; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Rose leptosiphon (Leptosiphon rosaceus)--Open, grassy slopes, coastal bluffs; CNPS ranking 1B.1.
• Coast lily (Lilium maritimum)--Coastal Prairie, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.1.
• Point Reyes meadowfoam (Limnanthes douglasii ssp. sulphurea)-- Coastal Prairie, Freshwater Wetlands, wetland-riparian; California state Endangered.
• Harlequin's lotus (Hosackia gracilis)--Coastal Scrub, wetland riparian (we observed this species in coastal prairie at PRNS); CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Marsh microseris (Microseris paludosa)--Northern Coastal Scrub;.
• Curly-leaved Monardella (Monardella undulata)--Coastal Strand, Northern Coastal Scrub, Coastal Sage Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Gairdner’s yampah (Perideridia gairdneri ssp. gairdneri)--vernal pools; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• North coast phacelia (Phacelia insularis var. continentis)--Coastal Strand, Northern Coastal Scrub; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Point Reyes rein orchid (Piperia elegans ssp. decurtata)-- Generally dry, open sites, coastal scrub, coastal prairie; CNPS ranking 1B.1.
• Michael's piperia (Piperia michaelii)--Northern Coastal Scrub, Coastal Sage Scrub; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• San Francisco popcornflower (Plagiobothrys diffusus)-- Coastal Prairie, Valley Grassland; California state Endangered.
• Marin knotweed (Polygonum marinense)--Coastal Salt Marsh, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 3.1.
• Lobb’s aquatic buttercup (Ranunculus lobbii)--vernal-pools in Valley grassland; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Point Reyes checkerbloom (Sidalcea calycosa ssp. rhizomata)-- Coastal Salt Marsh, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• Beach starwort (Stellaria littoralis)--Northern Coastal Scrub, Coastal Strand, wetland-riparian; CNPS ranking 4.2.
• Mt. Tamalpais jewel-flower (Streptanthus glandulosus ssp. pulchellus)--Chaparral, Valley Grassland; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
• San Francisco owl’s clover (Triphysaria floribunda)--Coastal Prairie, Valley Grassland; CNPS ranking 1B.2.
Visit the California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Inventory database for more information on rare plant rankings: https://rareplants.cnps.org
A huge database of information, taxonomy, status, and photos of California's native plants. You can download an app for your smartphone and add your observations!