PRNBO is visited by more than 2 million people per year (Allen). In order to control and educate this many visitors, PRNBO created a docent program in 1996. During this year, 33-45 volunteers interacted with visitors and collected data. During a one year, park docents logged in 880 hours. Thirty-five days of those hours were spent educating visitors on weekends and holidays, 30% of the 35 days, people were seen harrassing the elephant seals (Allen).
To control the potential of spreading a disease from a dog to the seals or from the dogs harassing the seals, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recommends that dogs be prohibited on the beaches where pinnipeds occur.
In 1995, 13 years after the begining of a rookery at this location, issues began to arise. These issues included public safety from the seals, harassment of seals by park visitors, and potential disease transmission between seals, dogs, and cattle. There was also the issue of dussruption or deterrence of colonization at new beaches due to human presence. Attempting to take care of the surfacing issues, scientists and policy makers are producing a couple of different documents. To address many different issues surrounding the expansion of the elephant seal colony on PRNBO, the park produced and elephant seal management plan. This plan looks at the long-term negative impacts the seals may have on other endangered or threatened species that reside in the park such as the western snowy plover (considered threatend in 1993) (Allen). In addition to the management plan, the park is currently creating a strategy for protecting and managing elephant seals. This is being done by gathering sufficient information on the seals habitat needs and potential conflicts. Research is also being conducted at PRNBO to understand why elephant seals pick some beaches over others for breeding.
K. West - 11/29/00