Design with the wild: Accommodating tule elks at point Reyes National Seashore

Zhang, Yuzhe

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116166 Copy

Description

Title

Design with the wild: Accommodating tule elks at point Reyes National Seashore

Author(s)

Zhang, Yuzhe

Issue Date

2022-07-20

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

O'Shea, Conor E

Committee Member(s)

• Hays, David Lyle
• Fang, Fang

Department of Study

Landscape Architecture

Discipline

Landscape Architecture

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.L.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

Tule elk, Point Reyes National Seashore, Rancher, National Parks, Human-Nature relationship

Abstract

On Point Reyes National Seashore, a National Park Service managed land, there are conflicts between local ranchers and signature native species, tule elks. To help mitigate the friction between tule elks and people, this thesis recommends a major shift in attitude concerning management strategies at Point Reyes National Seashore and delivers design interventions that frame the situation more holistically and support a more resilient approach. Agricultural land has been one type of land-use in Point Reyes for thousands of years. Since the mid-1800s, dairy ranching has become the major form of agricultural operations in Point Reyes and Marin County. Local ranchers are still stakeholders within the National Seashore, and the ranching activities are oppressing the survival of the native species. For instance, tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), a local native subspecies of elk, was reintroduced into Point Reyes National Seashore in 1978. Tule elk used to range widely in central California, but now it is a protected species at state and federal levels. As the ranches within Point Reyes National Seashore inevitably overlap with the elk distribution area, tule elks are facing habitat loss and competition with ranch animals. The design proposal in this thesis is tule elk-oriented, but competing interests are taken into consideration. The solution should support elks’ survival while maintaining ranchers’ land. The deliverables include (1) a catalog of strategies in different scenarios and (2) three site plans demonstrating the application of the strategies. The proposed design interventions can help (a) restore the habitat of the tule elk, (b) address land-use conflicts, and (c) create better recreational experiences for park visitors. Framed as a prototype, the design proposal can also be applied to other national parks where natural and cultural systems are in conflict.

Graduation Semester

2022-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Yuzhe Zhang

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