News Release

Hog and Duck Islands Now Part of Point Reyes National Seashore

Date: November 25, 1996
Contact: John Dell'Osso, 415-663-8522 x226

Point Reyes National Seashore is pleased to announce the transfer of ownership of Hog and Duck Islands within Tomales Bay from Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) to Point Reyes National Seashore. The islands are the centerpiece of the 12-mile-long bay and reinforce the concept of a public/private partnership for land preservation. The National Seashore has agreed to manage the islands to maximize environmental values and continue the exceptional resource stewardship which Audubon Canyon Ranch has accomplished over the years.

Skip Schwartz, Executive Director of Audubon Canyon Ranch, said, "We are confident that Point Reyes National Seashore will monitor and manage visitor use of the islands to protect their natural and aesthetic values and the health of Tomales Bay."

"The transfer of ownership to Point Reyes National Seashore of Hog and Duck Islands will ensure ongoing stewardship that remains sensitive to the health and preservation of natural resources associated with both islands and the surrounding Tomales Bay watershed," stated Superintendent Don Neubacher. He added, "preserving the long-term health of the Bay is a major goal of the National Park Service."

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey commenting on the transfer of ownership stated, "The islands are an integral part of Tomales Bay that must be preserved for future generations. This transfer is another key component of my goal to ensure the long-term health of the Tomales Bay watershed and open space."

Located in the middle of Tomales Bay, opposite the mouth of Walker Creek, the islands appear on official early survey maps from 1862. Photographs from the turn of the century show the islands bare and grassy which leads to the speculation that Hog Island's name came from the "hogsback" shape of the island rather than the popular story about a barge load of hogs wrecking there. Ownership of the island changed hands several times over the years, most recently having been sold to ACR in 1972.

The exceptional resources surrounding the islands are a magnet to visitors on Tomales Bay and the restoration of visitor-impacted areas would provide an opportunity for enhancing habitat for native species. The northeast sand spit edge of the islands remains an important habitat for harbor seals and shorebirds. The islands are located in the center of the most biologically productive and diverse area of Tomales Bay.

The Tomales Bay area contains significant natural and cultural resources. Nearly 50,000 shorebirds and water birds inhabit the area in winter. These numbers represent approximately 33% of the shorebirds that winter along the coast from San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay. In 1993, 18% of California's commercial oyster farming was accomplished in Tomales Bay and, in 1994, 98% of the California Pacific herring run was taken from the San Francisco District which includes Tomales Bay. Tomales Bay is considered to be one of the cleanest estuaries in the United States with extremely high water quality.

-NPS-