September 6, 2004
The Friends of Yosemite Valley (FoYV) has been working since 1997 to keep Yosemite National Park (YNP) from more commercialization, development, pavement, and upscaling that would deny equitable access. If not reversed, this trend would shut out average-income families and move the visitors even more towards a consumer-based experience, rather than a connected natural experience.
Yosemite is flooded with too much money
In 1997, after leveraging a highwater event in Yosemite, the Park collected three times the largest Congressional allocation ever for a National Park--close to $200,000,000. Today, after spending much of that money for destructive development projects, YNP still has tens of millions of dollars, or more, left--there has never been a clear accounting of the moneys.
Eight years ago the gate fee was raised from $5 to $20, adding another huge pot of largely unspent dollars, approximately $60,0000,000. Additional money from the Federal Highway Administration was leveraged from flood damage to illegally and unnecessarily widen Yosemite's El Portal Road into riparian and woodland habitat. Further allocations come from the National Park Service Department of Tourism to promote tour packages, such as one-day frenetic jaunts from San Francisco to Reno to Yosemite back to San Francisco--barely enough time to buy souvenirs, purchase a meal, take photos, go to the bathroom, drop trash and lots of dollars in the park, leaving in their wake diesel fumes. These tours leave their mark on Yosemite; but sadly, the natural and cultural gifts of Yosemite have not left their mark on these rushed tourists--the latter, meant to be the real purpose of the Park for visitors.
So what has the National Park Service (NPS) bought with all that public money? In FoYV's opinion, not restoration, nor protection of the natural and archaeological values of the Park, nor enrichment of the visitor experience. The road widening was to enable tourists in the largest RVs and the new larger tour buses to more quickly rush to the commercial centers, ignoring that journeying along the formerly tree-lined Merced River Canyon is a part of the Yosemite experience. Under an illegal (we contend) "exclusion" document, YNP paved an area adjacent to the Wild and Scenic Merced River for a new parking lot, instead of continuing to use the Day Use Parking area at Curry Village, which has been in use for 50 years. The new parking area they created is, in their own words, "poorly laid out, resulting in reduced parking efficiency, traffic congestion, and pedestrian and vehicle safety hazards." That newly created mess now serves as an excuse for more paving and development.
While having some millions of dollars of additional congressional appropriation pouring into the YNP "Bear Program", the Park Service fails to empty garbage cans at night leading to their killing "problem bears". While upgrading souvenir shops to look like department stores, NPS fails to keep bathrooms clean for visitors.
The National Park Service has begun implementing the $441,000,000 Yosemite Valley Plan development plan. While touted as a restoration plan to the public, a mere 6% would go towards restoration. The rest is a twenty-year plan for bulldozing-jackhammering construction projects, more pavement (in Yosemite Valley and park-wide), larger vehicles, more expensive admission and facilities, and less quiet. The end result: visitors hauled in on a daily stream of 500 round-trip diesel buses--one every 1.4 minutes in peak season--to a 22-bay urban-style transit center in the heart of Yosemite Valley. Meanwhile camping has been reduced by 40% in Yosemite Valley with rustic accommodations abandoned to build upscale, expensive resort-style lodging.
We want Yosemite to be adequately and appropriately funded through public moneys and institutions, in a process of protection of natural values with equitable public access; real input and collaboration on planning; and full transparency of that process and of funding and allocation of funds. David Brower, FoYV cofounder and supporter, frequently quoted Newton Drury, former head of the Park Service, "We have no money, we can do no harm." Dave knew and we know now the kind of circumstances which caused Drury to voice that strong caution.
FoYV Litigation Halts Yosemite Logging and
Development Projects!
In April of this year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco issued an injunction halting the Park's logging in Yosemite Valley for illegal development projects and new roads, and enjoined the projects. The Appeals Court, for the second time, upheld FoYV's claims that the Park's Plan for the Merced Wild and Scenic River is illegal and unprotective. The Park had already cut over 500 trees on the treasured floor of Yosemite Valley including historic black oaks. The ruling saved hundreds of other trees.
On July 6, the U.S. District Court in Fresno granted FoYV and Mariposans for Environmentally Responsible Growth an injunction on five Yosemite Park projects in dispute. Projects enjoined are the East Yosemite Valley Utilities Improvement Plan; the Curry Village Cabins with Baths and Expanded Campgrounds; the Yosemite Lodge Development; Camp 6 Parking Lot/Yosemite Village Transit Center; and the Camp Wawona Redevelopment and Proposed Land Exchange. The District Court did not enjoin the Curry Dorm project or the El Portal Administration Building.
FoYV and Mariposans for Environmentally Responsible Growth have opposed the Lower Yosemite Falls project as not protective of the Merced River and its values, and as created under an invalid River Plan. We feel sorrow that the ruling from the Appeals Court did not come in time to enjoin the illegal Lower Falls project. We have opposed this project, funded and pushed by Yosemite Fund donors. The new Ahwahnee Hotel-style bathroom and bus stop, dug on top of archeological sites to which contemporary Native Americans have personal family connections and adjacent to current gathering areas, are a monument to disrespect. Be aware that purchasing "Yosemite" license plates contributes to the Yosemite Fund.
In the Works: River Plan Scoping Comment Period
The District Court ordered the National Park Service to issue a new or revised Comprehensive Management Plan/Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Merced River. A Scoping Comment period has been extended until Sept. 10, 2004. Check the FoYV web site for current information. Participation in the comment period is important.
To sign up for the FoYV Update and Alert List: send an e-mail to yojo@batnet.com Subject Line: Yosemite Alerts, and check
out our web site: www.yosemitevalley.org.
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TOC for Forest & River News, Summer 2004