As part of the latest government spending bill, the House of Representatives included a statement supporting the preservation of historic dairy ranches in the Point Reyes National Seashore.

“The Conferees note that multi-generational ranching and dairying is important both ecologically and economically for the Point Reyes National Seashore and the surrounding community,” said the joint explanatory statement this month. “These historic activities are also fully consistent with Congress’s intent for the management of Point Reyes National Seashore.”

The House statement comes in the midst of a long-standing debate on whether public lands should be used for the benefit of private interests. The national seashore is undergoing an amendment process to its General Management Plan to determine how it will manage the ranches and their conflicts with tule elk in the park. The National Park Service is expecting to release a draft environmental review of this amendment in the summer.

“I’m glad that Congress is clearly reaffirming its intent to keep sustainable agriculture within a portion of the Point Reyes National Seashore,” Rep. Jared Huffman said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein also issued a statement that “the long tradition of ranching and dairy farming at Point Reyes is a valuable part of the park’s history.”

“The report language we secured will preserve that tradition by supporting sustainable ranching methods that respect the park’s legacy and protect its pristine shoreline,” she said.

The House statement is one in a series of supportive gestures by the federal government for the historic ranches within the 90,000 acres in the national seashore and neighboring Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill by Huffman in September that would extend the ranch leases from their current five-year terms to 20-year terms. In October, 17 ranches and about 150 structures in the national seashore were included on the National Register of Historic Places as the Point Reyes Peninsula Dairy Ranches Historic District.

Huffman’s bill and other proposals meant to extend the life of the ranches have been lambasted by some environmental groups that say the move prioritizes private business interests over the protection of wildlife and public lands.