The Nature Conservancy (TNC) announced in early December that the nonprofit is opening short-term contract applications for targeted cattle grazing at California’s Point Reyes National Seashore.
The contracts are intended to address specific concerns, such as high levels of invasive grasses impacting native plant species. A separate, long-term targeted cattle grazing plan will be developed in 2026 in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS) and others.
Additional resource management plans will be created and shared for public review in mid-to-late 2026. Public input will be solicited through at least two other public meetings and collaboration with other local partners, TNC said.
“The Conservancy intends to establish contract arrangements that are mutually beneficial and feature shared stewardship values for the Seashore,” the group said.
For the short-term contracts, the nonprofit is inviting written proposals for targeted cattle grazing on a little more than 2,000 acres in the Point Reyes National Seashore located in Marin County, CA. The contracts will begin no earlier than March 1, 2026, and will conclude when forage utilization goals are met, no later than Oct. 15, 2026. There will be no opportunity for extension.
TNC will allow interested contractors to tour the area open for cattle grazing from Dec. 8 through Dec. 19.
Interested contractors are asked to contact Sasha Gennet at sgennet@tnc.org with their interest to be notified of updates to the process. Proposals must be submitted to Gennet by Jan. 9, 2026. Selections are expected to be made within three weeks of the proposal deadline.
“This is an open, competitive process that provides equal opportunity for all applicants,” TNC said.
Regarding payment for the contracts, TNC said, “The operations bidding on this contract can elect what they are willing to pay, and this will be one of many considerations that TNC takes into account when selecting a contractor.”
To view more details about the request for proposals process, visit tinyurl.com/bds52umv.
TNC, Point Reyes background
Earlier this year, TNC reached an agreement with a dozen livestock producers at the Point Reyes National Seashore to end their operations. Under the settlement terms, six beef ranches and six dairies agreed to stop business within 15 months in exchange for compensation from the nonprofit. TNC then
Beef and dairy operations have operated at the seashore for generations, with the tradition stretching back to the 1850s. Environmentalists have long shared their ire about agricultural activity on the lands, claiming the needs of ranchers have been prioritized over the environment, tule elk population and public land use.
In 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project and Resource Renewal Institute filed suit against the NPS, challenging its management plan that reauthorized long-term grazing leases at Point Reyes. The January 2025 settlement came in response to the lawsuit, with TNC joining at the request of all litigation parties and “seeing this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance the conservation of the unique habitats and species found in California’s vanishing coastal landscapes.”
As part of the settlement, TNC planned to work with NPS to “mutually support and share resources to promote conservation activities on the vacated lease areas.”
On TNC’s website, the group answers the question, “If cattle ranchers are leaving, why is TNC bringing cattle back?” by explaining that “future grazing will focus exclusively on ecological health.” The group says that in the absence of fires and wildlife grazing, livestock are currently the “most practical option for emulating these historic dynamics, at scale.”
CDFW director joins TNC
On Dec. 8, The Nature Conservancy announced California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton “Chuck” Bonham was stepping down from his role and joining the nonprofit as executive director of the group’s California business unit.
“From his leadership restoring the Klamath to bringing salmon back to long-lost habitats, his belief that nature can rebound has shaped our state,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). “I’m grateful for his service and counsel, and I look forward to continuing to work with him at The Nature Conservancy.”
Bonham was appointed by former California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2011 and reappointed by Newsom in 2019 and is the longest-serving director in the department’s history. Before his role at CDFW, Bonham was the California director and a senior attorney at Trout Unlimited.
Bonham begins his role with The Nature Conservancy on Jan. 26, 2026. — Anna Miller Fortozo, WLJ managing editor
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