California's 'Galapagos' could see visitors

By Terence Chea

updated 10:10 a.m. ET May 23, 2005

FARALLON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE - Less than 30 miles from San Francisco, an archipelago of rocky islands rises out of the Pacific Ocean, forming a largely undisturbed wildlife haven that biologists call California’s Galapagos.

The public isn’t allowed onto the granite islands that make up the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge — the country’s largest seabird breeding colony outside Alaska and Hawaii.

But on a rare visit organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, several journalists saw an ecosystem teeming with life: densely packed colonies of black-and-white murres nesting on steep rocky slopes and Western gulls squawking constantly while defending their brown spotted eggs. A herd of elephant seals lounging in a sandy cove, just out of reach of the great white sharks circling nearby. And passing by in the chilly ocean swells, a gray whale, spouting water high into the air.

“You don’t have to go to the Galapagos to see amazing biological diversity and thousands and thousands of animals,” said Russ Bradley, a Point Reyes Bird Observatory researcher who monitors seabird breeding on the islands. “It’s right on San Francisco’s doorstep.”

Only a handful of bird researchers and maintenance workers are permitted to set foot on the 211-acre archipelago at any given time, although that could change.

15-year plan in works
Starting next week, the Fish and Wildlife Service will begin seeking public comment on a 15-year conservation plan that will address public access, among other issues. The agency is considering allowing small groups of naturalists to visit, but probably not tourists.

“We’re looking for creative ways to increase the public experience of the refuge without necessarily having them step foot on the islands,” said refuge manager Joelle Buffa.

Earlier this year, two congressmen proposed a bill to allow supervised access to the Farallones by amateur ham radio operators, who compete in broadcasting to and from remote locations.

The idea raised fierce opposition from biologists. The measure, sponsored by House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo of California and Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia, now appears all but dead.

“Public access would have caused disturbances that could have exposed seabird eggs and nestlings to predatory birds and potentially harmed their success at producing their young,” said Glenn Olson, executive director of California Audubon Society.

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