The most troubling impacts of the ill-conceived Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s dog management plan will be felt in Marin County, where historic access to trails and beaches will be drastically reduced or cut off completely for thousands of pet owners.
Residents of several communities in Marin will no longer be able to walk their dogs on trails in their own neighborhoods and will instead have to drive long distances in search of pet friendly areas. The GGNRA plan prevents women who feel safer hiking with their animal companions from accessing trails they've always used and essentially outlaws throwing a stick in the water for a dog without subjecting the animal to dangerous surf.
This plan will:
• Cut trail access for leashed dog walking from 24 miles to just 8 miles.
• Shrink off-leash dog walking from 16 miles to just a half-mile of Rodeo Beach, a cold, remote location with treacherous surf that requires a lengthy car ride in heavy weekend traffic.
• Prohibit off-leash dogs on Muir Beach, a canine friendly location for more than half a century.
• Ban dogs on every trail leading out of Muir Beach, including fire roads, virtually stranding that community.
This is a plan designed for failure, funneling all off-leash dog play into a tiny, remote stretch of sand that is very difficult to access. It will displace dog owners, prevent recreational use of the land by people and their best friends and force pet lovers to crowd into local parks and county open spaces.
Update provided by Cassandra Fimrite, Marin County Dog
