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Join us on FacebookCurrent Status of Dogwalking in the GGNRA Spring 2010 Crissy Field Dog Group's chair Martha Walters has attended all three meetings with GGNRA's Acting Superintendent Frank Dean and his staff regarding off leash recreation concerns and updates for San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin County sites over the past six six months. According to GGNRA staff, the GGNRA's Dog Management Plan will be released in the Fall 2010 timeframe. We will update everyone when we have a more specific release date of this document. So, in the meantime, the dog regulations in the GGNRA are status quo. And as many of you are aware, the Doyle Drive construction project is underway and we are sending update emails to our members on a continuous basis of closures, etc. The Crissy Field Center has been TEMPORARILY relocated to the eastern portion of the East Beach parking lot at Crissy Field until construction is completed. In addition, we are working with the Crissy Field Center in developing a program with the SF SPCA for dog training. Off-leash dog walking in the GGNRA is still in jeopardy.Off-leash dog walking with dogs under voice control is currently allowed at Crissy Field and other specified areas of the GGNRA under the 1979 Pet Policy pursuant to a Federal Court ruling in June of 2005. Areas where you can have your dog under voice control at Crissy Field include the East and Central Beaches, the promenade and Crissy Air Field (the large grassy area). For the West Beach, dogs may be off-leash and under voice control from May 16 to June 30 of each year. From July 1 to May 15 there is a seasonal restriction for the Western Snowy Plover in the Wildlife Protection Area at the West Beach during which timeframe dogs must be on leash. By way of background, the history of off-leash dog walking rights in the GGNRA dates back to the early 1970’s when the GGNRA was created as an urban recreational park. In the late 1970’s regulations applicable to federal lands, which prohibited certain traditional recreational park activities, were enforced. As a result, dog walking enthusiasts lobbied the park to relax off-leash rules in a few areas. In response, the GGNRA Citizen’s Advisory Committee held extensive hearings that led to the creation of the 1979 Pet Policy. The 1979 Pet Policy outlines off-leash rules and defines specific off-leash areas in San Francisco and Marin Counties, including portions of Crissy Field as indicated above. In 1983, Congress mandated that all types of National Parks must abide by the same standard regulations but created the option of “special rules” for exceptions. The standard regulations regarding dogs in national parks basically restrict dogs to on-leash and in parking lots only. The GGNRA continued to abide by the 1979 Pet Policy until 2001. In 2001, the Park Service began enforcing the leash law in all areas of the GGNRA based on the standard regulations applicable to national parks. This led to a lawsuit and eventually a ruling in June of 2005 by a Federal Magistrate, which upheld the 1979 Pet Policy. The Park Service then began the process of creating a special rule relating to dog walking within the GGNRA. A Negotiated Rulemaking Committee was formed and met many times with the charter to work to develop consensus recommendations to the park about where it may be appropriate to allow dog walking within the GGNRA. Unfortunately, that process was not successful in reaching any consensus. The next phase of the dog management planning process is the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the dog management plan, which is now underway. When the DEIS is released it will be important to provide public comment on the alternatives provided by the document. At least until then it is expected that the 1979 Pet Policy will continue to guide dog walking practices within the GGNRA. However, there are various threats (described more fully on the next page) to the current status, including House bill HR6305 introduced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi in June of 2008 to change the name of the GGNRA, the provisions of the General Management Plan for the GGNRA currently being formulated, and the potential outcome of the GGNRA’s Dog Management Plan. What can you do to help preserve and protect the ability to continue to walk dogs off-leash in the GGNRA?
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