Point Reyes National Seashore Transition Support Plan

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is the Transition Support Plan?  

  As a key part of this settlement agreement, the mediation parties collectively set aside funds and resources to create a transition support plan to address the impact on Eligible Residents, including ranch workers, tenants and their families, living on the departing Seashore ranches. The Transition Support Plan is designed to alleviate the burden of moving by providing direct lump-sum payments to workers and tenants to cover costs associated with relocating. The plan also assists Eligible Residents in finding new and interim housing, offers employment training, provides connections to social services support and more, as needed.

• Who is an Eligible Resident?  

  An Eligible Resident is any person who lived at the ranch, aside from the rancher families who were part of the settlement, as their primary residence at the time the settlement was signed, or up to 90 days prior.  Residents are invited to provide information to their transition advisor to determine who the Eligible Residents are, and to provide any substantiation that is needed. 

• Who is a transition advisor?

  Transition advisors are from Associated Right of Way Services and West Marin Community Services. They have reached out to Eligible Residents 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 is kept private between West Marin Community Services and Associated Right of Way Services. TNC and the mediation parties do not have access to any personal data.  

• Do all Eligible Residents in a household need to relocate to the same place?

  No. The Transition Support Plan is agnostic on how transition payments are used by Eligible Residents; although the intent is for the payment to support a household’s transition off the Seashore, households may use the funds however they like. Residents in a single household can move to separate housing, and the transition support payment can be divided amongst the Eligible Residents of a household if desired. All Eligible Residents in the household need to agree on how to divide the transition support payment.  

• How is the Transition Support Payment claimed? 

  Eligible Residents can speak with their advisor for help with submitting their request for the Transition Support Payment.  

  1. 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. Advanced payments will become available after May 1. Payment processing may take 30 to 60 days.  
  2. After move-off, final payment can be requested. To receive the final payment, Eligible Residents will need to: 
     1. Meet all standard tenant responsibilities for vacating a property. (For example, all items need to be removed, and the property should be swept clean.)
     2. Complete a Certification of Vacancy.  
     3. Sign a request for final payment. 
• How will Transition Support Payments be made?

  The household needs to decide who will receive the payment. One or more adults can receive a portion of the payment. The person asking for payment may be required to sign an IRS Form W-9 so that checks can be prepared.  

• How much will the Transition Support Payment be? 

  TNC, as a liaison to the mediation parties, partnered with an industry expert in relocation, Associated Right of Way Services (ARWS). This group calculated payments based on the size of the 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. 

• When do Eligible Residents need to move? 

  In order to receive the final Transition Support Payment, move-off needs to be completed on or before February 28, 2026.

• How is TNC working with Marin County on housing for Eligible Residents? 

  TNC, as a representative of the mediation parties, is engaging with Marin County staff in weekly meetings and coordinating with involved local nonprofits to align Transition Support Plan efforts with medium- to long-term community planning. While our immediate priority is to engage with households and deliver on the Transition Support Plan, we are motivated to maintain this communication and alignment and support longer-term solutions to the extent we are able. 

• Why were the housing conditions considered untenable? 

  Over decades of lease-holding (instead of land ownership), ranch operators had no assurance of stability. This resulted in limited incentive to invest in operations, including housing. Living conditions on the ranches would likely not have improved under the status quo before the settlement. TNC and partners have created the Transition Support Plan to help workers and tenants through this transition and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect. 

• How is TNC working with advocacy groups? 

  TNC has met regularly with community advocacy groups and engaged with them throughout the process of implementing the Transition Support Plan. After hearing the concerns of these groups, TNC and the mediation parties adjusted the final move-off date back to February 28, 2026 to provide residents ample time to make their transition off the Seashore. Additionally, TNC and the parties of mediation worked to maximize the payment offered to affected households based on feedback from community advocates.   

• Who will be responsible for severance pay for affected workers? 

  Severance pay is an agreement between employees and their employer. The Transition Support Plan funds and resources are in addition to severance, and will be offered to both ranch workers and tenants. TNC and Transition Support Plan partners are not involved in negotiating or distributing severance pay, as it is separate from the Transition Support Plan payments.

• What’s the status given the interest of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources?

  The Nature Conservancy has been informed that the House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources is launching an inquiry 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.

  Key information

  • TNC remains committed to the Settlement in full, to the extent that it continues to reflect the parties’ choice about the best path forward.
  • Despite this uncertainty, our partnership (TNC, WMCS and ARWS) is committed to continue our preparations to provide support to affected households. 
  • The inquiry is demanding attention from the settling parties and could interfere with the pace in which we can provide transition support. We want to be transparent and communicate directly with you if there are any major changes in the settlement and/or Transition Support Plan.
  • While we would like transition support payments to continue on schedule, there’s now some likelihood of a delay, especially to initial payments. We are working hard on the exact details and plans in consultation with the settling parties.
  • Despite uncertainty, our partnership aims to carry out the advance 10% payments. Given all of the work focused on the inquiry, there’s now some likelihood of a delay in our ability to process initial payments.

  What's Next? We will keep you notified of any pivotal changes. If you have questions, please contact Jade Vazquez at JVazquez@arws.com.