Republicans in Congress have initiated an investigation into a settlement affecting 12 of the 14 ranches and dairies in Point Reyes National Seashore, set to cease operations by 2026. The House Committee on Natural Resources, led by Bruce Westerman, raised transparency and environmental concerns regarding the settlement. The agreement involved environmental groups dropping a lawsuit against agricultural use in exchange for no new leases. Rep. Jared Huffman noted the possibility of reversal by the Trump administration's Park Service, emphasizing the implications for rural operators and environment.
The Committee is concerned not only with the lack of transparency surrounding the settlement but also with the environmental and legal consequences the settlement may impose.
If the park service, and this is the Trump administration's park service, wanted to revoke this or blow it all up, they could.
The owners of the ranches and dairies were paid an undisclosed amount by the Nature Conservancy, and had to agree not to disclose the terms of the agreement.
The letters were signed by six other Republican members of Congress, indicating a bipartisan interest in the investigation.
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