Protecting Drakes Estero Wilderness Preserves Wilderness Integrity Nationwide
Save Drakes Bay Coalition opposes efforts to privatize and commercialize our public lands, in particular our national parks and wilderness areas. The oyster company's campaign only emboldens efforts by private industry to increase and expand commercial activity in national park and wilderness areas throughout the country.
Here in California, various tactics have been used in attempts to privatize national park lands, including claiming hunting benefits for veterans in Channel Islands National Park to claiming benign commercial oyster operations in Point Reyes National Seashore. But just as we would not cut down the Muir Woods redwoods to plant organic lettuce nor allow hybrid vehicles to travel in National Park backcountry, neither should we allow this publicly-owned wildlife paradise to be further degraded for the sake of one private commercial enterprise, especially when it’s only years away from being protected in perpetuity.
Recently, there have been a flurry of ill-advised proposals assaulting America’s public lands, such as plans to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, to sell and commercialize 15 national park units, to open national parks for mining, and to open the National Marine Sanctuaries offshore Marin County for oil exploration. But thanks to the voices of Americans from sea to sea, these reckless ideas were rejected. Now we find we must raise our voices again to oppose yet another ill-advised proposal to continue past 2012 a commercial oyster operation in what should be a wilderness area. A proposal that, to be successful, would require congressional language overriding and going against previous legislation created with significant public input. Such a change in federal law would set a precedent similar to those mentioned above and would become yet another example of the assault on our public lands by private interests. The National Park Service has provided oyster operations 40 years (until 2012) to move and/or cease operations in the estero. We ask your help to ensure that in 2012 Drakes Estero will return to its congressionally intended wilderness status.
California has a long and proud history of wilderness preservation and your continued support will ensure that present and future generations continue to enjoy the tremendous benefits of the Drakes Estero Wilderness. 