“The history of procedural and ethical missteps by the park service at Point Reyes is stunning in its complexity and boldness. From the beginning of our stewardship of the farm, false science has been used as the primary tool to divide a community, intimidate government officials, and ostracize our family. Our family-run oyster farm became Ground Zero for scientific misconduct in the United States.”
~ Kevin Lunny
By Pete Kennedy
Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, California, was unique in our national park system. For over 50 years since an act of Congress created the park in 1962, wilderness, agriculture (mainly cattle ranchers), and mariculture coexisted at Point Reyes, with the mariculture activity being an oyster farm and cannery called Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC) located at Drakes Estero. DBOC was an institution in the community, having started operations in the 1930s; it was the most popular destination at Point Reyes National Seashore, drawing 50,000 visitors a year.
All of that came to an end in 2014 when the National Park Service (NPS) succeeded in shutting down DBOC through a campaign of fraudulent data and misrepresentation of science. There was no accountability for the NPS and the massive fraud they perpetrated against DBOC in portraying the oyster farm as a threat to the environment and marine life at Drakes Estero. Although a Department of Interior Inspector General investigation cited three NPS employees for engaging in deliberate misrepresentation and misconduct against DBOC, there was no correction of the false record the employees created; each employee wound up receiving promotions with NPS.
DBOC’s operation benefited the environment and was a major supplier of high-quality oysters to the entire state of California, but NPS, working together with environmental groups and other federal and state government agencies, was able to shutter the oyster farm despite overwhelming support in the community.
Kevin Lunny and his brother were the last owners of DBOC. Kevin joins the audiocast to give his account of how a hard-working family business with 30 employees was closed down due to a “taxpayer-funded enterprise of corruption.”
The Biden administration‘s 30 x 30 Plan aims to take productive public land out of commission; Drakes Bay Oyster Company serves as a warning of the power a corrupt federal government possesses to make that happen.
In addition to having owned DBOC, Kevin Lunny, and his family also operate a ranch at Point Reyes. Now, the Lunny ranch and the other ranches at the park are under threat from NPS and environmental groups. Lunny will give a status report on the effort to force the ranchers out of Point Reyes and turn their land to wilderness.
Note: This will be Pete Kennedy’s last interview as the Host of the Solari Food Series. We want to thank him for outstanding contributions to our library of great leaders and intelligence on protecting and building our food supply and food freedom. Check out the full library of Pete’s great interviews at the Solari Food Series.
Money & Markets
This is the last week of the month, so there is no Money & Markets. The next Money & Markets will publish on June 1. Post questions for Catherine or John Titus at the Money & Markets commentary here.
Related Resources:
Drakes Bay Oyster Company & the National Park Service
Chronology of Drakes Estero (timeline of the effort to shut down DBOC)
How the National Park Service shut down a California treasure (May 18, 2015)
Point Reyes ranchers in the crosshairs (January 30, 2015)
The Framing of an Oyster Farm (video)
Other Resources:
Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF)
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF)
Food Freedom Foundation (FFF)
I lived in the East Bay area during this time, and as a regular visitor to Pt. Reyes, I vividly remember this story about the Drakes Bay Oyster Company being destroyed, basically. It was surprising and very disturbing to me that the Obama administration would have done such a thing. Unprecedented in my experience, living there for most of my adult life. Inexplicable. I’m so very sorry, Mr. Lunny.
Obama also restricted the fishing area of the Maine fishermen and other such East Coast fishermen- for “environmental” reasons . . . President Trump went there and met with them in person. I watched the meeting online. He straightened out and corrected the harm done by Obama, and restored their fishing territory. I wish he could have done so for Mr. Lunny and his family.
These corrupt federal bureaucrats and rotten people need to be held accountable. When they hurt good people and destroy businesses like Drakes Bay Oyster Company, they hurt us all. Thank you for covering this important story.
Pete did an outstanding interview of a tragic and heart wrenching story of Kevin’s 20 year plus deep state tactics on his irreplaceable oyster company and its profound impact on the community, state and country–Like a documentary, a thriller, spanning time, hoping for an ethical and legal outcome but with no end in sight until their company, a national treasure, is seized. Mr. Lunny is a remarkable man and hero for enduring constant attacks with all these despicable local, state and federal entities in cahoots with NGOs and foundation fronts putting on white hats, then black hats, then tan hats only to end up realizing you are almost powerless, you realize nefarious powers outside of our country and laws are calling the shots. There is a US map called the UN Wildlands Project from the 1990s which hit the web long ago dismissed as “conspiracy theory”, all color coded showing citizens will only have access to less than 10% of our country. Everyone should study it and bring the Wildlands Map and Opportunity Zones maps to their legislators demanding an answer on if, ultimately, will imminent domain under the con of “climate” and “wildlife” along with weather warfare be used to seize 80% of our lands. Mr. Looney’s tragic story is all of our stories whether we are aware of it. I hope that UN Wildlands map isn’t correct or we will own nothing and eat bugs. Thanks Pete. Everyone needs to listen to this unforgettable tragedy and fight. Mr. Global is at war with every citizen and as been plotting for over 50 years to seize the 80% of our country by 2050.
Remarkable story. Critical to document
Sad story. Beautiful area. Marin County is as close to Eden on Earth I’ve ever experienced.
Back in 2016, I spoke with a women connected to the industry at a Tomales Bay bar (eating oysters, of course). She said “they” didn’t want humans in Marin County. Except for tourists passing through in their Teslas (mostly H1Bs in tech). And they want to cut off all food production. Not just oysters, as there are ranchers up there too. Lots of century old family businesses threatened by these strange “turn-everything-into-a-musem” anti-human forces.
But the locals will rebound and survive whatever comes their way. Everyone I’ve met up there (outside of Mill Valley) are hard working, salt of the earth types, even though they’re so close to San Francisco.
Sad to hear this. Point Reyes is one of God’s masterpieces. Agree. I lived in Mill Valley for over 30 years and witnessed the extreme transition into a town now occupied with nannies by day rather than the eclectic group of normal people and workers. Gavin Newsome solely forced out the highest rated restaurant, Jenny Lows, for his personal watering hole downtown which began small businesses falling like dominoes on Mr. Globaloney’s chessboard. After the San Francisco tech invasion beginning after 9/11, a dark energy seeped into the entire region along with Burning Man massive rituals. Mill Valley, Marin changed dramatically from Eden to an invisible war zone. My intuition strongly advised me to depart in 2018. I realized “burning man” was literally attempting through rituals to burn existing man and life. Solari’s series on “Deep State Tactics” checked every box of my personal experience. Yes, the people and nature will survive and recreate. Infinite intelligence rules.