Golden Gate National Recreational Area - Pets (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS

Visitors and their pets at Fort Mason, GGNRA

Dogwalking In Golden Gate National Recreation Area

As a result of a Federal District Court opinion in June 2005 (United States v. Barley, Sayad and Kieselhorst), limited areas of the park are available for voice control dogwalking per the 1979 GGNRA Advisory Commission Pet Policy.

Exceptions to 1979 Policy:
- The fenced, 12-acre closure in northwest section of Fort Funston will remain closed to dogs and visitors for resource protection and public safety.
- 2 seasonal protection areas for the threatened Western Snowy Plover where pets must be on-leash while plovers are present, from July until May or until monitoring shows they are no longer present.
- - Ocean Beach Snowy Plover Protection Area (Stairwell 21, just south of the Beach Chalet, to Sloat Blvd. - including all tidelands.)
  - Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area (west end of Crissy Field beach)
  - The seasonal leash requirement for the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area has been lifted by Golden Gate National Recreation Area effective Thursday, May 01, 2008.
    
    Please Note: Monitoring shows that the Western Snowy Plovers are still present in the Ocean Beach Wildlife Protection Area. The seasonal leash requirement at Ocean Beach will remain in effect until plovers are no longer present.

New Trail: The Presidio Batteries to Bluffs Trail above the north end of Baker Beach, completed this fall, has been designated as a pedestrian-only trail(no dogs) per a Compendium Amendment. The trail designation was specified in the 2003 Presidio Trails and Bikeways Master Plan, and is due to high density of special status species (possibly the highest density of species within GGNRA), historical visitor use patterns and high wildlife value of the area. This trail has never been designated as open to pet use and was not included in the 1979 Pet Policy.

Dogwalkers with dogs on-leash who want to follow a coastal route in that area can use the Coastal Trail along Lincoln Boulevard. Signs on the Coastal Trail note that "Dogs are permitted on leash".

While acknowledging the court’s decision, GGNRA continues to encourage all dogwalkers to keep their pets on leash to protect natural and cultural resources, including the threatened and endangered plants and animals in the park and to ensure the safety of all visitors and pets.

In all areas of the park that allow dogs, but which were not open to voice control by the 1979 Pet Policy, the federal regulation requiring dogs to be on leash (36 CFR 2.15 (a)(2)) is still in effect and are being enforced.

A planning process is underway to decide how best to manage dog walking in the park. As part of that, a Negotiated Rulemaking Committee representing the diverse interests likely to be affected by a dog management plan was appointed in 2006 by the Secretary of the Interior; they held their final meeting on October 27, 2007. The input from the committee, together with the planning process will result in a dog management plan/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)which could be the basis for a special regulation for dogwalking at GGNRA. For more information, go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga and click on the Negotiated Rulemaking and the EIS/Dog Management Plan project links.

January 23, 2008 Update: the public comment period has closed for the proposed rule that would continue the seasonal protections for the Western Snowy Plover now in place on portions of Ocean Beach and Crissy Field until a Dog Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement and special regulation for overall dog management at GGNRA are completed (est. winter 2009). Comments will be compiled and reviewed by the National Park Service. After consideration of comments received, it is anticipated that a final rule will published in the Federal Register by early summer 2008.

Important information for dogwalkers:

As stated in the 1979 Pet Policy, dogs must be under control by voice or leash at all times and must not harass any person or animal.
Regulations that apply in all GGNRA areas open to dogs:
36 CFR § 2.15 - All sections of the NPS pet regulation except for the section requiring pets to be on leash. These sections prohibit:
- Failing to dispose of pet excrement
- Leaving a pet unattended
- Allowing a pet to make noise that is unreasonable considering the location
- Possessing a pet at a swimming beach
36 CFR § 2.1 - Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources
36 CFR § 2.2 - Wildlife protection
36 CFR § 2.34(a)(4) - Disorderly Conduct (unmanaged dogs creating hazardous or physically offensive conditions)

Areas now open to voice control dogwalking per the Federal Court decision (for more detail, refer to the 1979 Pet Policy), modified by exceptions to the 1979 Pet Policy specified at top of page:

San Francisco - Fort Funston (excepting the 12-acre closure in northwest Ft. Funston), Ocean Beach (north of Stairwell 21 and south of Sloat Blvd. as noted above), Lands End, Fort Miley, the north end of Baker Beach, and Crissy Field (except for the seasonal restriction for the Western Snowy Plover in the Wildlife Protection Area, as noted above).

Marin County - Rodeo Beach, Oakwood Valley Road, Muir Beach, Homestead Valley, Alta Avenue, specific trails in Marin Headlands (see 1979 Pet Policy)