A perspective from John Collins. "My father was one of the NPS visionaries who led the effort to establish PRNS. His name was George Collins.
My dad served as chief of recreational resources and land planning for the region from 1948 until he retired in 1960. He directed the survey that prioritized Point Reyes for federal protection, based on social and environmental considerations, including the national concern that too much of the exemplary American coast was being privatized, with accompanying losses in public benefits.
My dad recommended the size and shape of the park and produced its first land-use plan. He helped draft the official purpose: “To preserve, for purposes of public recreation, benefit, and inspiration, a portion of the diminishing seashore of the United States that remains undeveloped.”"