Mariposa's only daily updated online newspaper
Mariposa's only daily updated online newspaper
MERCED RIVER PLAN PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS
Leading Conservation and Recreational Organizations Take Legal Action Supporting National Park Service
Yosemite Air Quality Update
The General Services Administration (GSA) will
be conducting an internet auction of Yosemite's surplus propert
Park News Bear Report
|
MERCED RIVER PLAN PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS - The public scoping period for a new Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (MRP/EIS) began on March 30, 2007 will run until June 9, 2007.
Meetings will be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, from 4-8pm in Mariposa at the Masonic Hall (5145 Jones Street); Thursday, May 17, 2007, from 4-8pm in San Francisco at Fort Mason (Bay & Franklin Streets, 1st Floor Conference Room in Building 201); and, on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, at the park's Open House. The park welcomes all ideas and concerns regarding this planning effort.
This new planning process will take approximately 33 months, with a final Record of Decision anticipated in September 2009. Written scoping comments should be postmarked no later than June 9, 2007.
Please contact Elexis Mayer, Project Manager, at 209.379.1377 or elexis_mayer@nps.gov for more information. Yosemite Air Quality Update - A hot, dry summer is in the offing this year, and our first ozone exceedence has already occurred this past week (May 10). We will be closely monitoring air pollutants in Yosemite with a small fleet of mobile and stationary instruments that can deliver data in near-real-time to the web. To make all this more useful and accessible , I have updated the Air Quality page on the internal Yosenet site to provide a one-stop shop for finding air quality-related data and information: http://www.yose.nps.gov/yosenet/AirQuality/default.htm In addition to the weekly and near-realtime data updates for ozone and fine particles/smoke, this page also includes links to most of the meteorological data available from Yosemite weather and climate monitoring sites. For all you planners out there, I've added a table of planning and regulatory links that summarizes our Yosemite's legal attainment status, current legislative news, and , farther down on the page, some general verbiage summarizing Yosemite's air quality status and trends. I will be updating the site periodically this summer, so your questions and comments are welcome and appreciated.
Park News Bear Report Comparisons for the week of May 5
Weekly Bear Activity Bear activity slowed down this week, with no incidents occurring. We have observed bears in the campgrounds, but fortunately they have been unable to find food left out. Bears have been observed foraging naturally in the west end of Yosemite Valley. While Tioga pass is not open yet, several reports have come in from backpackers that they are seeing bear tracks in the snow. Bears have also been observed in Hetch Hetchy. Amazing bear fact Female bears with offspring are starting to emerge from their dens this time of year. Cubs of the year are tiny right now, as they were born in January or February weighing less than a pound. They usually weigh about 10 pounds by April or May when they come out of the den with their mother. Bear cubs stay with their mothers throughout the summer and then den with them again that winter. By the time they emerge the next spring as yearlings, they usually weigh from 40-100 lbs. After a month or two the mother pushes the yearlings away and gets ready to mate again. |
|
Leading Conservation and Recreational Organizations Take Legal Action Supporting National Park
ServiceSearch May 11, 2007 12:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time Leading Conservation and Recreational Organizations Take Legal Action Supporting National Park Service Organizations File Amicus Brief in U.S. Court of Appeals Supporting Efforts to Protect the Merced River and Visitor Access in Yosemite YOSEMITE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A diverse group of seven leading conservation and recreational organizations today announced they have taken legal action supporting the National Park Service’s appeal to uphold the Comprehensive Management Plan for preserving and protecting the Merced River area in Yosemite, a plan on hold since a District Court ruling in 2006. The group of supporters filed a “Friends of the Court” brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals (9th Circuit) in San Francisco, pointing out flaws in a November 2006 District Court ruling that halted several important habitat restoration, trail repair, traffic relief, and campground expansion projects. These projects will protect both the natural habitat and visitor access while significantly shrinking the overall human footprint in the Merced River corridor, which includes Yosemite Valley. Possessing an impressive track record of environmental stewardship and involvement in Yosemite, the organizations include The Yosemite Fund, Friends of the River, The American Alpine Club (AAC), Access Fund, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), California Trout and The Wilderness Society. The primary issue at stake in the Park Service appeal is “user capacity.” The District Court ruling required limiting the number of visitors in the Merced River corridor including Yosemite Valley. The Park Service maintains that imposing numeric limits on visitors without scientifically derived reasons is impractical and unfair to visitors. Its protection program, created with substantial public input, will adjust visitor access when needed to protect natural habitat and wildlife. In the brief, the organizations assert that the Park Service’s Comprehensive Management Plan for the Merced River is a sound plan that reflects current scientific research and the many interests of those who seek to protect, preserve, restore and enjoy Yosemite. The organizations also share concern that replacing the Park Service’s adaptive management plan with strictly numeric limits will reverse decades of progress by national experts and professional land managers, requiring complete overhaul of a scientifically sound program that skillfully seeks to identify and prevent environmental harm and correct unacceptable impacts before they become impairments. The organizations do not take their involvement in the appeal lightly. Indeed some have been at odds with the Park Service in the past, yet these disputes were resolved through constructive engagement and cooperation. The Yosemite Fund, an organization that has avoided involvement in court matters, supports the Park Service and advocates that restoration projects placed on hold as a result of the litigation move forward. The case will be heard in the San Francisco U.S. Court of Appeals (9th Circuit) in fall 2007. The brief will allow the organizations to speak in support of the Park Service during the appeal process. Contacts The Yosemite Fund Jerry Edelbrock, 415-434-8446 ext. 15 or National Parks Conservation Association Ron Sundergill, 415-989-9921 ext. 21 510-368-0115 (cell) or Friends of the River Ron Stork, 916-442-3155 ext. 220 or California Trout Brett Matzke, 559-658-7688 or The American Alpine Club Linda McMillan, 415-309-7961 or Access Fund Jason Keith, Policy Director, 303-545-6772 ext. 102 or The Wilderness Society Sara Barth, 415-561-6641 ext. 101 Sharing Sharing These links help you add this release to websites on which you can save or share bookmarks. Diggdel.icio.usNewsvineReddit Print this Release Terms of Use | © Business Wire 2007
|