This chapter chronicles how the PRNS has continued to steer management toward the national park ideal of scenic wild-yet-managed nature, despite giving more attention to cultural resources, as well as making official statements about the value of the area's ranching history. This can particularly be seen playing out in the Seashore's natural resource projects and plans since 1995. Moreover, these efforts to create a more wild and natural landscape have often come at the expense of the working ranches. This trend is most clearly reflected in the reintroduction of tule elk to Point Reyes, which have spread onto the pastoral zone and are now threatening the long-term viability of several historic ranches. The NPS's lack of action to counter the effects of free-ranging elk on ranch operations seems based in idealizations of both wilderness and wild animals as requiring hands-off management.
Copper Deficiency in Tule Elk at Point Reyes, California
