EMPIRES
or in this case referred to as "small, struggling families"
or in this case referred to as "small, struggling families"
Contents
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Land Domination
Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association Stewards? Dairy Distribution The Families |
Land domination. The ranches of the Point Reyes Peninsula dominant the land. The acreage that accounts for "wilderness areas" are scattered, divided, fragmented, incomplete, and separated by miles of lethal ranch fencing. It's an absolute joke to think of Point Reyes as a wilderness area.
What most people don't know is that these ranchers hold massive land holdings outside the seashore as well. Perhaps even more surprising is the realization that only a handful of families lease almost all the ranches in the seashore, as opposed to them myth that each ranch is a separate, small family.
What most people don't know is that these ranchers hold massive land holdings outside the seashore as well. Perhaps even more surprising is the realization that only a handful of families lease almost all the ranches in the seashore, as opposed to them myth that each ranch is a separate, small family.
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Ugh, where is the non-ranched section of the peninsula?
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The below document reveals in great depth the shocking reality of these empires and their land holdings in Marin County. Click to download.
| 2021_1.27_-_prns.docx |
For those not willing to read the document, here's a quick taste of reality:
Over 80% of the ranches on the Point Reyes National Seashore – thirteen of sixteen - are leased to FOUR families, whose collective land holdings in Marin County total over 24,000 ACRES.
Over 80% of the ranches on the Point Reyes National Seashore – thirteen of sixteen - are leased to FOUR families, whose collective land holdings in Marin County total over 24,000 ACRES.
This book, in downloadable PDF form, authored by Bruce Keegan, shows the original purchase agreements of the ranches starting on page 21. Miraculously, through perpetuation of myth, it has now become widely accepted that the original intent was to pay people millions of dollars not to leave their land. Adding insult to injury, we continue to fit the bill for the incredibly low lease rates they enjoy while also paying expenses of these ranches.
We the people paid once and we are still paying today.
We the people paid once and we are still paying today.
| keeganpt_reyesbook_2mgbts.pdf |
POINT REYES SEASHORE RANCHERS ASSOCIATION
where families of liars assemble without faces
where families of liars assemble without faces
This website was one of the first that I had to research and debunk in order to accurately proceed with the creation of my film.
The Point Reyes Ranchers Association Website has so many lies on it that a dedicated page was required just to tackle all of it.
PRSRA and RAGG were two groups formed to allow the ranch families to engage in legal matters and lobbying without personally attaching their names.
The Point Reyes Ranchers Association Website has so many lies on it that a dedicated page was required just to tackle all of it.
PRSRA and RAGG were two groups formed to allow the ranch families to engage in legal matters and lobbying without personally attaching their names.
STEWARDS OF THE LAND
Unfortunately, this is only one of multiple ranches the Nunes family abuses in Point Reyes
This photo of a portion of E Ranch was sent to me from a West Marin citizen who requested to remain anonymous for the sake of his/her well-being. It has been a common theme while documenting Point Reyes to encounter people afraid to speak on record, intimidated into silence for fear of what might happen to them if ranchers get wind that they have been openly criticized. How is it that ranchers that people are afraid of receiving violent backlash from simultaneously get to carry the mantle of being "good"? People who abuse animals are good. People who abuse the land are good. People who abuse federal funding are good. People with millions of dollars to their name complain about their hardship and ask for even more charity are good. People who won't change their careers despite the desperate planetary need for them to change just for the selfish excuse of tradition are good. People who exploit migrant workers for profit are good. People who steal babies from moms for a living are good. People who drain a drought-stricken state of what little water it has left are good. People who chop up native animals in spring harvest in order to store cattle feed are good. People who illegally shoot wildlife are good. People who demand the removal of native wildlife for fear of losing a tiny fraction of a profit margin are good.
Or, for a switch from toxic machinesy waste, the ranchers also have illegal coprse dumps
DAIRY DISTRIBUTION
Many of these ranch empires work with big name companies such as Straus and Clover. Clover seems to have the biggest grasp of the area but over ten ranches sell to Petaluma Creamery and a handful are vertically integrated (bottle directly or make specialty cheese) or sell to other companies that are less prominent in CA.
Straus and Clover signs can be seen hanging in front of ranches within the seashore and ranches outside the seashore throughout Marin and Sonoma Counties.
Straus and Clover signs can be seen hanging in front of ranches within the seashore and ranches outside the seashore throughout Marin and Sonoma Counties.
Kehoe and McClure appear as the only Clover Dairies in the seashore, at least according to Clover's website.
There are two Point Reyes Clover producers on the map, which I've already made videos about because they are two particularly horrifying locations in the seashore. I am stunned by the appearance and stench driving past Kehoe and McClure Ranches every single time I visit the seashore.
The Straus list for Point Reyes National Seashore-based dairies only shows Nunes and Mendoza Ranches, but this is misleading for multiple reasons:
Nunes
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/drakes-view-dairy/
Mendoza
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/mendoza-dairy/
Spaletta outside the seashore
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/cypress-lane-ranch/
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/jjs-family-dairy/
- Both Nunes and Mendozas lease multiple ranches in Point Reyes, so just saying "Mendoza Ranch" as if there is only one Mendoza Ranch is a little deceptive. The next question to ask is, "If one of the family ranches sells to Straus isn't it likely the other ones leased by those families do as well?"
- The other part that seems suspicious is the fact that the Spaletta family sells to Straus from multiple locations outside but they also lease ranches in the seashore, yet those are not listed on the Straus web page. Do the ranches in the seashore really not sell to Straus?
- Making it even more compicated is the intermarriage of the families, so sometimes when you are talking about one you are also talking about the other. I've been told that the seashore ranches have arrangements where one provides for the other, so family x could be providing from their land for family y without that production being listed anywhere officially.
Nunes
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/drakes-view-dairy/
Mendoza
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/mendoza-dairy/
Spaletta outside the seashore
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/cypress-lane-ranch/
https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/farms/jjs-family-dairy/
THE SPALETTAS
The Spalettas stand out to me for a few reasons;
It is a testament of the mentality of such people to have so much and yet complain so often, demanding the death of magnificent wildlife for fear of the grazing of grass cutting into their profits. It is worth noting, as the Pacific Sun pointed out, that sharing the land with wildlife was part of the leaseback agreement. It is also worth noting that the park service engaged in no studies or other attempts to quantify the damage caused by the elk before deciding to appease the death wishes of the ranchers. The more you read on the topic the more you will see the pattern of the park service simply doing whatever the ranches want.
- They have been the most vocal about killing the Tule elk
- It was a Spaletta ranch hand that assaulted me in the South Beach parking lot.
- Correspondence obtained via FOIA documents reveals that the Spallettas made claims to the NPS of damage to fences caused by elk and even death of cattle caused by elk, yet would not provide evidence to go with these claims. Furthermore they have been hostile toward the park staff and toward wildlife, including being seen harassing elk with ATVs and their dogs.
It is a testament of the mentality of such people to have so much and yet complain so often, demanding the death of magnificent wildlife for fear of the grazing of grass cutting into their profits. It is worth noting, as the Pacific Sun pointed out, that sharing the land with wildlife was part of the leaseback agreement. It is also worth noting that the park service engaged in no studies or other attempts to quantify the damage caused by the elk before deciding to appease the death wishes of the ranchers. The more you read on the topic the more you will see the pattern of the park service simply doing whatever the ranches want.
The Spalettas are featured in these two episodes from my Morning Cup of Cowshit series
Genazzi
Genazzi's legacy of overstocking and corpse dumping
Although not one of the ranches of the seashore peninsula, Genazzi is managed by PRNSPS and was recently in the news as having its lease terminated for multiple, ongoing violations (see the Point Reyes Light article here).
What YOU DON'T KNOW is how long these violations went on and how severe they were. I have attached a document found in NPS correspondence obtained via FOIA showing a park ranger documenting Genazzi more than DOUBLING his allotted AUIs back in 2013. Furthermore Genazzi was guilty of illegally dumping corpses of animal bodies into piles, out of site instead of properly removing them from the seashore. There is NO correspondence showing any follow up or punishment. Almost a decade later Genazzi is still at it. If there was any punishment (unlikely) it clearly wasn't very compelling.
For the park service to finally do something in 2021 after decades of failing to comply with rules and only a one year lease currently on record, the real story here is that Genazzi was already planning to leave and this isn't punishment at all. This was a fake show of authority by Kenkel and the Park Service pretending that they don't bow to the ranchers. Furthermore it undermines the park service's excuse for their controversial preferred plan B. Melanie Gunn told me that it was too difficult to enforce rules under the existing leases. Looks to me like it's possible anytime the park service actually decides to do anything. Similarly, Home Ranch is supposedly going to face some consequences for their bulldozing of native habitat, but this is only have the violation blew up in mainstream media. Once again it shows that the park service COULD have been enforcing the rules this entire time if desired, plan B is not a requirement to do so since it isn't even in effect yet.
Here is the most recent lease I could find for Genazzi
What YOU DON'T KNOW is how long these violations went on and how severe they were. I have attached a document found in NPS correspondence obtained via FOIA showing a park ranger documenting Genazzi more than DOUBLING his allotted AUIs back in 2013. Furthermore Genazzi was guilty of illegally dumping corpses of animal bodies into piles, out of site instead of properly removing them from the seashore. There is NO correspondence showing any follow up or punishment. Almost a decade later Genazzi is still at it. If there was any punishment (unlikely) it clearly wasn't very compelling.
For the park service to finally do something in 2021 after decades of failing to comply with rules and only a one year lease currently on record, the real story here is that Genazzi was already planning to leave and this isn't punishment at all. This was a fake show of authority by Kenkel and the Park Service pretending that they don't bow to the ranchers. Furthermore it undermines the park service's excuse for their controversial preferred plan B. Melanie Gunn told me that it was too difficult to enforce rules under the existing leases. Looks to me like it's possible anytime the park service actually decides to do anything. Similarly, Home Ranch is supposedly going to face some consequences for their bulldozing of native habitat, but this is only have the violation blew up in mainstream media. Once again it shows that the park service COULD have been enforcing the rules this entire time if desired, plan B is not a requirement to do so since it isn't even in effect yet.
Here is the most recent lease I could find for Genazzi
For further consideration, ponder how the presence of "dumps of corpses" affects wildlife behavior. Scaring away some, attracting others.
Read the 2013 Genazzi file here
| foia_8.pdf |
Read the Genazzi 2012 file here
| foia_10.pdf |
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#genazzi #rancher #pointreyes #violations #stewardsoftheland #shameofpointreyes #corpses #dumps #overstocking #leases #pointreyesnationalseashore #melaniegunn #cattle
Giacomini
The other families will be added in time
This page shows just a few of many lease violations by Point Reyes Ranchers, but focuses on Lunny's continual overstocking.
A few examples of disturbing rancher behavior exposed in correspondence publicly released through Freedom of Information Act
Debunking each rancher propaganda
