Fiscal Year 2002 Budget and Annual Performance Plan for Point Reyes National Seashore Available

Date: January 2, 2002
Contact: John Dell'Osso, 415-464-5135

Park Superintendent Don Neubacher today announced that this popular Bay Area national park has recently completed its Annual Performance Plan and budget for Fiscal Year 2002 as required by the “National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998.”

Point Reyes National Seashore is responsible for the long-term management of over 71,000 acres in Marin County, including an additional 18,000 acres of the northern district of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Last year, 2.5 million people visited Point Reyes. Point Reyes’ annual operating budget is $4.9 million for Fiscal Year 2002. This equates to approximately $1.96 per visitor.

Highlights of the park’s budget that fund specific goals in the annual performance plan include:

• $1,200,000 for resource preservation and management. These funds provide programs to protect the park’s resources, conduct scientific research and monitoring, control exotic plants, enhance native species, maintain historic buildings, and restore areas when feasible.

The park contains over 870 species of plants and 65 species of mammals including the elusive mountain lion and the largest mainland breeding colony of harbor seals in California. The park has 23 listed endangered or threatened species within its boundaries; this list includes the northern spotted owl, the western snowy plover, the Sonoma spineflower; and the California red-legged frog. Extensive research on elephant seals, tule elk, the threatened red-legged frog, and coho salmon is now being conducted.

The cultural resources include approximately 300 historic structures, 490,000 museum collection objects, 120 archeological sites, and eleven cultural landscapes. Also, included are the Point Reyes Lifeboat Station, a national historic landmark; the nationally significant Point Reyes Lighthouse Complex; and the statewide significant historic ranch complexes such as Pierce Ranch.

• $1,600,000 to address visitor services. Visitor services include providing law enforcement, operating three visitor center services, providing educational programs, and conducting interpretive programs. Because of the park’s close proximity to nearly eight million people, Point Reyes is one of the 30 most visited park units in the National Park system. Managed programs include law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, and hazardous materials spill response. Law enforcement functions include front and backcountry patrols, boating and fish and game enforcement. Patrol activities include the protection of the natural and cultural resources, visitor assistance, and resource education. Visitor protection rangers participate in and conduct a wide variety of resource management projects including protecting endangered species, cultural resources, and grazing management.

Approximately 700,000 people a year visit the park’s three Visitor Centers. The Bear Valley Visitor Center provides the primary means for visitors entering Point Reyes National Seashore to obtain both essential and enriching information enabling them to have a safe, enjoyable, and educational experience in the park. All interpretive facilities offer opportunities for visitors to obtain in-depth information on natural and cultural resources found in the park and to become familiar with ecological and environmental principles. An education curriculum provides hands-on activities that enable students to observe and understand the resources found at Point Reyes.

• $1,650,000 for facility operations and maintenance. These funds are used to maintain the park’s infrastructure and operate park facilities such as water treatment plants and sewage systems. Funding is used to maintain the park’s 147 miles of trails and 100 miles of roads. Daily cyclic and long-term maintenance is needed to keep park facilities operational. They tend to be recurring activities that occur from daily to annually. The scope of park facilities is varied and complex. Physical facilities include more than 400 structures, 147 miles of trails, 100 miles of roads, 17 water systems, 27 sewage treatment facilities, four concession operations, and four backcountry campgrounds.
  
• $450,000 for park administration. These funds are used to fund the basic administration services for the park. This function is critical to providing overall management direction and defining clear goals and objectives for park staff. The function also provides the administrative support such as personnel and contracting to ensure other park divisions can achieve their program goals. Management also ensures financial accountability to all park stakeholders partners and, ultimately, the American public.

A copy of Point Reyes’ complete annual performance plan, prepared in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), is available by writing to Superintendent, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 ATTN: Annual Plan.

These long-term strategic plans look at issues such as natural and cultural resource preservation and protection and management of special status species, visitor and educational services, public facility operations and maintenance, administration, and construction.

The goals described in these plans are derived from the 1997 National Park Service Strategic Plan which establishes a performance management process for the National Park Service and incorporates the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act.

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