Say No to Off-Leash Dogs at Pillar Point Bluff

On Tuesday, November 9, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will consider allowing off-leash dogs at Pillar Point Bluff, a coastal gem adjacent to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Speak up to protect the sensitive wildlife there! Please email the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors by 5 pm today, opposing off-leash dogs at Pillar Point Bluff.

What’s Happening

County Parks is proposing a pilot program that would allow off-leash dogs at Pillar Point Bluff under new rules requiring that: (1) Off-leash dogs must be under voice and sight control, (2) dogs must remain on designated trails within view and earshot, (3) only two off-leash dogs allowed per visitor, and (4) no dogs are allowed at Ross’ Cove beach and/or tidepools at any time.

Pillar Point Bluff is a Local Biological Hotspot

Pillar Point Bluff and adjacent Fitzgerald Marine Reserve have more special status wildlife species than any other comparable County Park area. Rare coastal prairie grassland, seasonal wetlands, and coastal scrub provide habitat for the federally protected California red-legged frog as well as many songbirds and raptors. Marine mammals, including harbor seals, elephant seals, sea lions, and sea otters can often be spotted at the foot of the bluffs at Ross’ Cove; all are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Off-leash Dogs Can Be a Threat to Wildlife and May “Recreationally Displace” Park Visitors

Just as dogs love to chase balls and frisbees, they instinctively will chase birds and other wildlife. At Ross’ Cove, an off-leash dog ran down to the beach from Pillar Point Bluff and killed a harbor seal pup in 2018. We don’t know how many other similar incidents may have happened in this infrequently patrolled area, but even one is too many.

Off-leash dogs have been known to attack other dogs as well. Many on-leash dog walkers will avoid areas where off-leash dogs are allowed. In addition, off-leash dogs can “recreationally displace” people – in contravention of the public access requirements of the California Coastal Act – as they jump on people who are fearful of dogs, and even have bitten bicyclists.

Other Off-Leash Dog Areas Are Available Nearby

Half Moon Bay’s Coastside Dog Park is only 7 miles from Pillar Point Bluff, Pacifica’s Esplanade Beach is 11 miles, and Fort Funston is 17 miles. El Granada’s Quarry Park, also proposed for the County’s Off-Leash Dog Pilot Program, is just 2 ½ miles away.

What You Can Do

By 5 pm Monday, November 8, send an email to the County Board of Supervisors, asking them to maintain and enforce current rules that only allow on-leash dogs at Pillar Point Bluff. If you can, please also attend the Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, November 9 beginning at 9 am. Please note that there is another controversial item before this – proposed revisions to Supervisor District Maps – so it is not possible to predict what time this item will be heard.

Thanks for speaking up to protect wildlife! Your voice does make a difference!

P.S. Here is a joint letter by Green Foothills, Sierra Club, Surfrider, Sequoia Audubon Society, and Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve submitted to the Board of Supervisors on this issue.

Comments (9)

josef schwarzl

November 8, 2021

we all love pets and wildlife
we shall control wildlife, btw we actually harm them more than enough.
Dogs have taken over lately, it seems to be fashionable.
although dog owners need to keep them under control in more than one way.

janet

November 8, 2021

I would hope that a safer place can be found for dogs to run

thalia lubin

November 8, 2021

It seems like this is not a good place for off-leash dogs. Plenty of well-behaved dogs, but those that aren’t can cause damage to this sensitive area. Lots of other places nearby for off-leash dogs.

Margaret Dean

November 8, 2021

On a personal note, I no longer walk the trails at Pillar Point Bluff. People already walk their dogs off-leash there and they do not respect the walkers with leashed dogs’ implied request to be left alone. We teach our children to ask before they approach a strange dog. Why not ask permission before allowing one’s dog to approach a strange dog?

suzanne Allee

November 8, 2021

OFF LEASH OFF LEASH OFF LEASH OFF LEASH!!!!!

Diana Reddy

November 9, 2021

Thank you, Lennie, for calling this issue to my attention. I added my voice as one who will not take her dog to an area where unleashed dogs are permitted as my former Airedale was attacked by dogs “who had never done anything like that before.”

Amy

November 9, 2021

A dog did NOT runs down to the beach from the bluff top. He was brought there purposely with his owners. There are witnesses to corroborate.
This has nothing to do with the off leash pilot.
Please stop promulgating this myth of dogs running down to the beach. It undermines your credibility

GV

November 9, 2021

For the record, I am a dog owner. The guidlines that are outlined here are laughable. “Dog must be in earshot. Dog must stay on trail.” Whos going to enforce that? How do you enforce that? There are too many irresponsible dog owners now, and there will be NO enforcement, just as there is none of any kind for Mavericks beach reef, our state beaches, Rancho, Quarry park, and the town of HMB for that matter.

Matthew

November 10, 2021

Lennie Roberts and Green Foothills are wrong on this one. This is not protected land that needs to be saved from introducing off-leash dogs.

(1) You list some of the off-leash dog rules, but don’t include the more restrictive rules (e.g., dogs must be within 25′ of their owner AND must be put on leash if you approach a person without a dog or a dog on-leash). These omissions mislead your readers. Why not provide a full picture of what was proposed?

(2) It was not mentioned that the Bluffs have had off leash dogs almost continuously since the Ohlone tribes had canines on the property. It’s only since the County took over the land a decade or so ago that dogs were technically on-leash, but de facto permitted until recently. There have been few problems and issues. As noted above, the horrific seal incident was not a dog coming from the Bluff (Lennie Roberts should know this).

(3) San Mateo County is the ONLY county in the Bay Area (and perhaps the only one in the state) that has no off-leash dog walking trails on any of their lands. This will be the first and, unlike Quarry Park (a eucalyptus forest), will be on level land.

(4) The Dog Work Group has had 5 years of public hearings with representatives of all groups, including environmental groups. All decisions were made by consensus. Why did GF never make one public comment or written comment at any of these prior meetings, but just bring up objections publicly weeks before the Board vote?

I am a strong environmentalist and supporter of GH, but I fear the position taken on this issue will make coastsiders fear that GH is more about anti-dog than pro-environment.

What’s Happening

Pillar Point Bluff is a Local Biological Hotspot

Off-leash Dogs Can Be a Threat to Wildlife and May “Recreationally Displace” Park Visitors

Other Off-Leash Dog Areas Are Available Nearby

What You Can Do

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