Three organizations filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Northern District of California challenging the National Park Service’s adoption of a General Management Plan amendment that expanded lands open to beef and dairy ranching within Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The complaint asserted violations of the Point Reyes Act, the National Park Service’s Organic Act, NEPA, the Clean Water Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. In support of the NEPA claim, the plaintiffs alleged that the EIS “provided little information about the expected impacts of climate change and largely ignored how ranching will exacerbate these effects,” including expected exacerbation of water quality and water quantity problems.

Challenge to the National Park Service’s adoption of a General Management Plan amendment that expanded lands open to beef and dairy ranching within Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Resource Renewal Institute v. National Park Service

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Organizations Cited Failure to Consider Climate Impacts in Challenge to Expansion of Ranching in Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area

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Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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A loan is a policy instrument where funds are provided to a borrower with the expectation of repaying the principal plus interest.

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Using laws and the legal system more broadly to protect vulnerable entities

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

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Agriculture mitigation refers to practices used to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions at every level of the agrifood systems, from production to consumption.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

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Climate change impacts our society by disrupting the natural, economic and social systems we depend on. Physical hazards and underlying vulnerabilities can lead to increased resource competition for food and water, which can heighten the risk of conflict.

Organizations Cited Failure to Consider Climate Impacts in Challenge to Expansion of Ranching in Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance