Update: Groups protest FEE DEMO, "YOSEMITELAND" Sierra Star

Groups protest fees, operations in "Yosemiteland"

by Cathie Campbell
of the Sierra Star

YOSEMITE VALLEY: "They're turning the Park into Yosemiteland," says Joyce Eden, voicing her concerns as an activist who would like to see the National Park Service change the way it manages federal public lands, most especially, Yosemite National Park).

On Saturday, Ms. Eden joined others who share her concerns as they staged a peaceful protest and passed out literature in front of the Yosemite Visitors Center in the Park. Their main goal was to educate the public regarding the Fee Demo policy (Recreational Fee Demonstration Program) and the use of those funds to develop, rather than restore, areas of YNP.

Created as a rider to the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1996, Fee Demo allows the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management to charge fees for admission to, or use of, public lands.

For the national park system, this means an increase of existing fees ($20, up from $5, for YNP) and new fees for access to parks with no previous fees. Historically, the other agencies besides NPS charged only nominal fees for the use of some developed campgrounds that provided toilets and running water.

Literature provided at Saturday's protest states that "the recreation industry wants to move public lands agencies away from the concept of 'the public trust' and towards 'pay to play.'"

"Public lands affected by the Demo Fee can, and do, engage in corporate partnership services relating to Fee Demo projects. The Forest Service's first partnership, according to its first Fee Demo brochure, was with the ARC (American Recreation Coalition)." The ARC Board of Directors represents groups such as the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, the Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, KOA and concessionaires in our national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and other popular parks and forests.

"The Walt Disney Company is the largest corporation actively involved behind the scenes with Fee Demo. Their bottom line is corporate profit; after all, this is why they are in business."

The message continues with the statement that "the problem comes with public lands being run as a business for profit by the dictates of corporate shareholders. In 1901 when Teddy Roosevelt envisioned natural settings preserved and protected and 'free camping grounds for the ever-increasing number of men and women,' he did not mean that corporate America should be involved in the management of these lands."

The Lower Yosemite Falls Project (LYFP) is a particular sore spot for not only Ms. Eden, but others who are actively involved with groups such as Friends of Yosemite Valley, Public Lands Coalition, Bridge the Gap Foundation, and many Native Americans who have ancestors dating back to Yosemite Valley long before the area was "discovered" by the new wave of non-Indian people.

Impaired vision

Opponents to the YFP say the plan focuses more on development rather than restoration, and believe it will significantly impair the area's natural systems, wildlife, wildflowers and Indian cultural and archeological sites.

The area around the Lower Yosemite Falls is considered to be a prime source of materials for basket-making and acorn and mushroom gathering. There are many bracken ferns and black oaks.

"When I looked through the FONSI (Finding Of No Significant Impact)," says Ms. Eden, "I saw the place where the black oak area (with mushrooms and bracken ferns) would be impacted. I couldn't believe it."

A Total disaster

Efforts at mitigation have so far not been considered to be successful. One example given at the protest was the subject of mushrooms. One protester reports that the Ahwahneechee people were told by the NPS, "We didn’t know those things were important to your people," and suggested that the mushrooms just "be dug up and moved" to another area.

"Mitigation is a total disaster," says Ms. Eden. "It does not work."

Passersby were attracted to the protest by colorful signs, a table full of information and the songs and guitar playing of Albert Martinez, who is a direct descendent of Maria Lebrado, a granddaughter of Chief Tenaya. She survived the turmoil when the Ahwahneechees were turned out of Yosemite Valley by the Mariposa Battalion back in 1851.

The protesters, Indian and non-Indian alike, wish to see more protection for Native American culture and customs with YNP. "Unfortunately, it appears the majority of the public in the United States thinks of Native Americans as history," says Ms. Eden, "but they are still alive and kicking and connected to traditional values. We’re trying to support what the Park Service is supposed to do, which is preserve their culture."

Leslie Van Meter agrees with that statement. As a descendent of the Yosemite Ahwahneechees, who is also a concerned NPS employee, she would like to see her people’s culture preserved and protected, and not exploited for commercial gain.

When speaking of her tribal elders having been presented documents detailing the Lower Yosemite Falls Plan, she lamented that, "They were shown architectural gridlines," noting those were difficult to interpret, as compared to photographs of actual trees, rock formations, etc. That would have been easily recognizable by elders familiar with the area.

Accountability for resources

So what is the solution to what so many perceive to be a serious problem with the current management of public lands? Those opposed to the LYFP advise that public lands must be managed through a federal budget, and that public managers must be held accountable for the welfare of natural resources in our national parks, forests, wetlands, rivers and deserts.

They want to educate the general public that the quality of their lives depends on such management and accountability. What that means is that taxpayers share in the cost of land management and give a voice to that management.

They do not approve of Congress "slashing the budget in a deliberate effort to make public land management dependent on Fee Demo -- a perfect harbor for exploiting public lands for private gain -- federal funds need to be restored and Fee Demo needs to be demolished."

Writing letters to legislators and local newspapers is a way that most people can voice their opinions regarding public lands use management, such as the LYFP.

"Yosemite should be a nature center, not a profit center," said David R. Brower, noted environmentalist who died in 2000 at the age of 88. Many people share his view and join together to work against those who wish to permanently authorize the Fee Demo.

Besides a negative impact on activities such as gathering basket material, mushrooms and acorns, other concerns the protesters have involve the widening and addition of pathways, rerouting and grading significant trail segments into undisturbed areas, bridge construction or reconstruction, a new restroom facility planned for a sensitive archeological area, relocated shuttle bus stop, and the negative impact of relocating parking areas for large tour buses.

They feel the LYFP "is on a fast track," with the public "largely clueless as to its devastating impacts."

More information about the efforts being made by Friends of Yosemite Valley: at www.yosemitevalley.org; e-mail: yojo@batnet.com

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