THE National Parks Conservation Association's spokesman Neal Desai and his allies like the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), have some serious explaining to do.
First, they should explain why they have flip-flopped on the oyster farm.
When Congress was debating wilderness legislation for Point Reyes in 1976, every interested environmental and civic organization told Congress that the oyster farm should be allowed to "continue unrestrained by wilderness designation" because it is "considered desirable by both the public and park managers."
What changed?
Second, they should explain why they have such trouble with the truth. Mr. Desai claims that Drakes Estero would be the "first marine wilderness area on the west coast." But Drakes Estero won't even be the first marine wilderness in Point Reyes; it'll be the fourth.
Mr. Desai seems not to have noticed that Estero de Limantour, Abbott's Lagoon, and the southern end of Drakes Estero were designated as wilderness in 1999.
Mr. Desai and his allies have also made claim after false claim of various "egregious" environmental harms allegedly caused by the oyster farm. In fact, Drakes Estero is thriving: the water quality is excellent, eelgrass has doubled, and the harbor seals just had their best pupping season on record.
Third, Mr. Desai and his allies should explain why they goaded state Coastal Commission staff into breaking their agreement with the oyster farm. Commission staff and the oyster farm had agreed that the farm's permit application would be processed when the federal environmental review was complete. Read more