Natural History Wanderings

Yosemite National Park has a new proposed management plan for Yosemite Valley and the Merced River. This is the park service’s third attempt to develop an acceptable management plan. The two previous efforts were rejected by courts as environmental groups sued the park service for inadequate environmental protections. Some of the highlights of the new plan are:

• 600 day-use parking spaces would be added
•  the number of campsites would increase by about 35 percent
•  203 acres along the river would be restored
•  the 90-year-old Sugar Pine Bridge across the Merced would be removed to help restore the river’s natural flow patterns.
• no new construction would be allowed within 150 feet of the Merced River
• informal trails in the meadow would be removed
• Trails and boardwalks at Bridalveil Fall would be redesigned.
• Vulnerable areas would be closed to visitors
• pedestrian underpass would be built to ease traffic on a busy road near Yosemite Lodge.
• the ice skating rink at Curry Village, commercial horseback riding, hotel swimming pools and raft and bicycle rentals would be eliminated

Read more at:

Yosemite plan calls for more campsites and parking spaces – latimes.com.

Big Changes Proposed for Yosemite Valley | National Park | SoCal Wanderer | KCET.