Point Reyes oyster farm owner files lawsuit to block closure

PAUL PAYNE,
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The owners of a controversial oyster farm on the Point Reyes National Seashore are suing the government to try to remain in business.

Drakes Bay Oyster Co. is asking a federal judge to nullify last week's ruling from U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who said it must close within 90 days.

Kevin Lunny, who has owned the farm since 2004, was denied a 10-year extension on a permit to farm oysters in Drakes Estero, which is part of the Point Reyes National Seashore.

In his 34-page lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Lunny challenged National Park Service studies that said his operation hurt the environment.

He has enlisted the help of a Washington, D.C., group, Cause of Action, which scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. to discuss the lawsuit.

Check back later today for more details on this breaking story.

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