Some local businesses criticize plan to restore Yosemite Valley.
YOSEMITE N.P., CALIF.-A plan to help restore the Yosemite Valley's natural beauty by reducing the number of campsites and parking spaces there is coming under fire.
The Yosemite Valley plan, released three years ago, was designed to improve visitor experience in the valley and allow natural processes to occur. It would reduce the number of campsites to about 500 and day-use parking spaces to 550, to help the effects of park crowding and traffic congestion. The plan was shaped after 20 public meetings and more than 11,000 citizen comments.
At a recent congressional hearing, however, U.S. Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) criticized the plan.
"There's a concern about locking people out of the park," said Radanovich, echoing the opinions of some local business owners who fear a drop in park visitation that could hurt their bottom line. Backers of the plan, however, insist that it is crucial to protect the natural conditions of the valley-which ultimately could attract more visitors.
"We're not looking to keep people out of the park but rather to reduce activity in this very sensitive ecosystem," said Courtney Cuff, NPCA's Pacific regional director. "We see it as a win-win, because we can restore the health of the valley, which in the long run will provide visitors with the richer experiences that really draw people to the park."
Although overpowered by the vocal cries of some, not all business owners around Yosemite feel that the plan will hurt park visitation. A group of them recently sent a letter to Radanovich asking him to support the plan.
"We believe [it] is integral to the long-term health of the park," they wrote. "We are convinced that the plan would sustain the integrity of the valley's natural and cultural resources, improve the quality of visitor experience without denying access, and enhance the local economy."
The valley plan, expected to cost about $440 million over a decade, would return 176 acres along the Merced River to natural habitat and restore its floodplain. Because of parking space cuts, most visitors would be bused into the valley after leaving their cars in lots near park entrances.
"During the most crowded summer months, the valley is very popular to hikers and campers," said Cuff, "and it's important to provide people with an alternative mode of transportation."
About 300 campsites in the valley are already gone, washed away by a flood in 1997 and never rebuilt. Many argue that rebuilding them in the floodplain would be a waste of money because of the possibility of another flood.
"It would be much more cost-efficient to balance the removal of some of these campsites with introducing some new ones in areas more appropriate for campgrounds," said Cuff. "It's about improving the park for visitors and working more and more toward being true to the vision of what this park should be."
