Decades of land use conflict at Point Reyes National Seashore have led to deteriorating conditions for the park’s natural and cultural resources, as well as for the families who have lived and worked there. When the parties involved in the latest litigation invited The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to join their mediation and help develop a feasible solution that all parties could accept, TNC agreed after careful consideration – and with the understanding that although any solution would be difficult for the community living and working in Point Reyes, continued conflict would only make conditions worse for people and nature alike.
After two years of collaborative negotiation, TNC assisted with the development of a solution that all litigation parties accepted: compensating ranch owners who would voluntarily end their leases, wind down operations, and leave the Seashore, enabling the settlement of litigation and the targeted grazing and restoration of one of the best examples of a large, intact coastal ecosystem in California.
Guided by a vision of the future where both nature and people thrive, TNC made sure the settlement was not only a conservation win but also provided a pathway forward for those affected by the changes. To ease the transition for dozens of ranch workers, their families, and other tenants who live in ranch housing, TNC as a representative of the settling parties is working with local nonprofit West Marin Community Services (WMCS) and relocation consultant Associated Right of Way Services (ARWS), with guidance from community groups, to provide financial support in the form of transition payments.
Moving from the Seashore, which for many was their lifelong home, inevitably instigates feelings of loss and uncertainty. TNC and partners have great respect for the households who live and work on Point Reyes and hope to help ease some of the hardship during this time of transition with support resources. TNC’s goal has always been to find a viable solution while reaching the best possible outcome for ranch families and ranch workers, and the transition support is part of this.
Transition support delivery is advancing well; advisors from WMCS and ARWS have met privately with all 26 of the households on the Seashore affected by the settlement. As of August 21st, 2025, 25 households have signed up to receive support, and 21 households have received a 10% advance payment. TNC is grateful for the outstanding work that WMCS and ARWS have done implementing this plan and communicating directly with households.
TNC continues to raise funds to support these transition payments. If you are looking to support the fund, please reach out to pointreyes@tnc.org.
Please read the FAQs below for more information.
Frequently asked questions
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As a key part of the settlement agreement, the settling parties collectively agreed to address the impact of the settlement on affected households (the ranch workers, tenants and their families living on the departing Seashore ranches). TNC committed to raising the funds for this effort.
The transition support plan is designed to alleviate the burden of moving by providing direct lump-sum payments to affected households to help cover costs associated with relocating. The payment amount is based on the number of residents in each affected household and is available in two parts, an advance and a final payment. The plan also assists affected households in finding new and interim housing, provides connections to social services support including employment services and more, as needed. The transition advisors from ARWS and WMCS are working closely with households on an individual basis to understand needs and work to address them.
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Any resident who is confirmed to have lived at the ranch (aside from the rancher families who were part of the settlement) as their primary residence when the settlement was signed on January 8th, 2025, or up to 90 days prior, is eligible for transition support. Residents are invited to provide information to their transition advisor to determine who is eligible for transition support and to provide any substantiation that is needed.
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TNC, as a liaison to the settling parties, partnered with an industry expert in relocation, Associated Right of Way Services (ARWS) to determine the transition support payment amounts. The payments are based on the number of residents in each household, which indicates the size of housing unit that would be appropriate. For that size of housing unit, ARWS assessed the range of monthly rental costs in Marin County. After community feedback, adequate payments were estimated to be the equivalent of the top number in that range multiplied by 18 months of intended support.
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Transition advisors are from Associated Right of Way Services (ARWS) and West Marin Community Services (WMCS). They have reached out to eligible affected households to aid them throughout this process and to ensure that they receive support, including payments, in a timely manner to make their own individual decisions.
Transition advisors understand that the privacy of the affected households is very important. The information provided by affected households is kept private between WMCS and ARWS. TNC and the settling parties (with the exception of the departing ranchers on ranches upon which such affected households reside) do not have access to any personal data.
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Affected households can speak with their advisor for help with submitting their request for the transition support payment.
- An advance payment of 10% of the total transition support payment can be requested once the Certification of Residents has been completed and verified by the rancher. Advance payments are available. Payment processing may take 30 days.
- After move-off, final payment can be requested. To receive the final payment, affected households will need to:
- Complete a Certification of Vacancy, which must then be verified by the rancher.
- Fill out and submit a request for final payment.
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The household needs to decide who will receive the payment and how the payment will be received. Payment can be made by check or direct deposit. One or more adults can receive a portion of the payment. Transition advisors will inform the person receiving the payment what information will be needed for processing.
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In order to receive the final transition support payment, move-off needs to be completed on or before February 28, 2026. Specific move-off plans need to be developed and agreed upon between each individual household and their landlord.
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No. Households may use the funds however they like, although the intent is for the payment to support a household’s transition off the Seashore. Residents in a single household can move to separate housing, and the transition support payment can be divided amongst the residents of a household if desired. All residents in the household must agree on how to divide the transition support payment.
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TNC, WMCS and ARWS are engaging with Marin County staff and coordinating with involved local nonprofits to align transition support delivery with medium- to long-term community planning. While our immediate priority is to engage with households and deliver the transition support payments, we are motivated to maintain this communication and alignment to coordinate efforts and support longer-term solutions to the extent possible.
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TNC has met with community advocacy groups and engaged with them throughout the process of designing the transition support plan. After hearing the concerns of these groups, TNC and the settling parties adjusted the final move-off date back to February 28, 2026 to provide ample time for transition off the Seashore. Additionally, TNC and the settling parties worked to maximize the payment offered to affected households based on feedback from community advocates.
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Severance is an agreement between employees and their employer and is separate from the transition support payments. The transition support funds and resources will be offered to both ranch workers and tenants. TNC, WMCS and ARWS are not involved in negotiating or distributing severance pay.
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Over decades of lease-holding (instead of land ownership), ranch operators had no assurance of stability. This resulted in no incentives to invest in operations, including housing. Living conditions on the ranches had long been deteriorating and would likely continue to get worse under the status quo before the settlement. Although the changes in the settlement have brought on challenges for the community and families facing moves and job changes, TNC and partners designed the transition support plan to help affected households through this transition and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.
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The Nature Conservancy was informed that the House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources inquired into the recent Point Reyes National Seashore settlement, which includes the voluntary wind-down and closure of 11 agricultural operations on Point Reyes National Seashore.
TNC remains committed to carrying out the settlement in full, but the Committee inquiry presents some new uncertainty in the process. Despite this uncertainty, our partnership (TNC, WMCS and ARWS) is committed to delivering support to affected households.
While this webpage is intended to provide helpful and current information, it is subject to change. This page is not a substitute for the consultations with transition advisors or for the documentation that affected households will review with transition advisors to receive transition support and housing assistance.