Resolution by Supervisor Leland Yee.
Passed by unanimous vote of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Tue. Jan. 22, 2001:

Resolution urging the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Citizens Advisory Commission to defer action on the revocation of the 1979 pet policy until the City has had time to review the proposal.

WHEREAS, The January 23, 2001 the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Citizens Advisory Commission Agenda contains a proposal to ban off-leash dog running in all areas of the GGNRA including Fort Funston, Crissy Field, Rodeo Beach and Baker Beach; and

WHEREAS, In 1975 the GGNRA committed to the City and County of San Francisco that historical recreational use occurring at city parks donated to NPS would be continued; and,

WHEREAS, On February 24, 1979, the GGNRA officially adopted a pet policy stating that off-leash dog running was allowed in these areas; and,

WHEREAS, Thousands of San Franciscans will be negatively impacted if this policy is rescinded; and,

WHEREAS, The impact on local parks will be overwhelming if off-leash dog running is prohibited in the GGNRA parks; and,

WHEREAS, The GGNRA was established by Public Law 92-59 to provide for the free exchange of ideas between the National Park Service and the public and to facilitate the solicitation of advice or counsel from members of the public on problems pertinent to the
National Park Service parks; and,

WHEREAS, The City and Countv of San Francisco has not had adequate time to review this proposed action; and,

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco urges the Board of Supervisors appointees, John Springs and Michael Alexander, to defer revoking the 1979 pet policy until the City has had sufficient time to review the proposal; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco urges the entire GGNRA Citizens Advisory Commission to defer revoking the 1979 pet policy until the City has had sufficient time to review the proposal; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco requests the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to send a letter to John Reynolds, Regional Director of the Pacific West Region of the National Park Service requesting that he meet with the City to discuss the unilateral actions taken by the GGNRA which run counter to the will of thousands of San Franciscans.

Resolution declaring intent to seek REVERSIONARY right to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area property pending GGNRA removal of twenty year pet policy.     

WHEREAS, in 1975, the City and County of San Francisco transferred Fort Funston and other City-owned park lands to the federal government to be included in the Golden Gate National Area (GGNRA), to be administered by the National Park Service; and,     

WHEREAS, former Charter section 7.403-1(a), as approved by the voters, required that the deed transferring any City-owned park lands to the National Park Service include the restriction that said lands were to be reserved by the Park Service “in perpetuity for recreation or park purposes with a right of reversion upon breach of said restriction,”; and,     

WHEREAS, the deed transferring these City-owned park lands to the National Park Service contains the following reversionary interest:  “to hold only for so long as said real property is reserved and used for recreation and park purposes,”; and,

WHEREAS, visitors to Fort Funston, including thousands of residents of San Francisco, have been walking their dogs off-leash at Fort Funston for approximately forty years; and

WHEREAS, off-leash dog-walking is the predominant activity at Fort Funston; and,

WHEREAS, in 1979, the National Park Service implemented “The 1979 Pet Policy” which specified that dogs could be walked off-leash at Fort Funston; and,

WHEREAS, in 1992, the National Park Service assured park users and the two U.S. Senators from the State of California that the 1979 Pet Policy was the operative policy at Fort Funston and would not be changed; and,

WHEREAS, on January 23, 2001, at its monthly meeting, the National Park Service’s Citizens Advisory Commission will vote on rescinding the 1979 Pet Policy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco hereby takes the position that any rescission of  the 1979 Pet Policy by the National Park Service is a violation of the National Park Service’s obligations to the City and County of San Francisco such that the City and County of San Francisco will begin taking the steps necessary to exercise its reversionary interest in the deed transferring Fort Funston, Rodeo Beach, Chrissy Field and all properties of the 1975 transfer to the National Park Service or to seek specific performance of the deed provisions.

WHEREAS, In 1979, the GGNRA instituted a Pet Policy, allowing access to these properties; and,

WHEREAS, On January 23, 2001, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Citizen's Advisory Committee is poised to revoke this policy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Board of Supervisors does hereby urge the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to delay taking action to ban off-leash dogs at Crissy Field and other GGNRA properties until after thoroughly studying the affect that such a ban would have on the City of San Francisco and particularly on neighborhood parks; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this legislation be sent to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.