Mariposa's original daily updated online newspaper
Mariposa's original daily updated online newspaper
A Change in the Air - Ferguson Rock Slide
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| There is a change in the air on the Ferguson Rock Slide on the viewpoint of the temporary bridges. For many, many months Kome Ajise CalTrans District 10 Director, has told the Mariposa County Boards of Supervisors and many others that any work done on the temporary bridges would require a time consuming full EIR as now the slide is not considered an emergency project. But then in December at a Board of Supervisors meeting Ken Gosting of TIE read a statement to the Board that according to his sources a full EIR would NOT be required to get the bridge realigned thus allowing longer vehicles to cross over the bridge. At the time the BOS had no comment on what Mr. Gosting had said. Mr. Gosting suggested that the BOS contact some knowledgeable lawyers about the requirement of a full EIR as CalTrans has said. Now in a letter to the BOS dated January 3, 2008 and signed by Mike Tollefson, Superintendent of Yosemite National Park, the Park is requesting "that interim modifications to the temporary bridges be included in the initial steps of the project". The 'Project' being the permanent bridge that will replace the temporary bridges. The Park Service mentions the tremendous negative impact that the bridge restrictions are causing Mariposa County and Yosemite National Park. Also they fear that litigation on the new bridge will delay the project further. At the January 8, 2008 Board of Supervisors meeting under discussion on the Ferguson Rock Slide, Supervisor Bob Pickard made a reference that the temporary bridges need to be looked at. So a change is in the air on the general feelings of the temporary bridges and what can be done to get the bridges realigned to allow the longer vehicles back into Yosemite National Park. Will something be done? Stay tuned and contact your local supervisor with your comments!
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