The Truth About the Yosemite Valley Plan: A Development Plan, not a Restoration Plan
(2-3-2004)
A Development Plan, not a Restoration Plan
Cost: $441,000,000 -- 94% of which would fund construction projects
(information in this sheet from the Yosemite Valley Plan and other documents)
In Yosemite Valley:
* The asphalted surface area of Yosemite Valley would increase significantly (facilitated by an asphalt batch plant to be constructed in Yosemite for this purpose)
* Approximately half of the Valley's roadways would be significantly widened or realigned, cutting down historic oaks and impacting River zones (including Southside Dr)
* A ten-acre traffic check station is planned for the pristine West Valley (El Cap turnaround)
* A new segment of road would be built at Yosemite Lodge much closer to the River than the existing segment, bulldozed through riparian and forest areas (Northside Dr.)
* A 22-bay urban style bus station would be built in Yosemite Village, and Y. Village would increase in size
* More than 500 round trip diesel buses projected daily during peak season,1 shuttle arriving every 1.4 minutes
* Air pollution, including deadly small particulates, and noise levels would increase
* A 14 acre parking lot to be paved in a National Park Service identified "Highly Valued Resource Area" adjacent to the Merced River -- Camp 6 (Instead continue the existing 50 yr. old Curry day-parking)
* Annual Park transportation operating costs would increase more than 5 times from $1,770,000 to $10,131,000 (Who will pay?)
* So-called lodging "reductions" focus on removal of modest rustic cabins and tent-cabins in favor of constructing and/or renovating hundreds of new, more upscale Valley hotel rooms (inappropriately characterized as "rustic" by the National park Service) ; Yosemite Lodge and Curry complexes would expand beyond their current borders.
* Almost 40% of the 800 pre-flood campsites were already closed in 1997 before the Valley Plan (accounting for most of the claimed restoration in the Valley Plan -- lodging generates concession $, camping does not)
* Restaurant seating in Yosemite Valley would significantly expand
* More development requires more employees which requires more housing (numbers of employees, support facilities, and operating costs significantly increase)
* Construction would destroy or degrade scores of native American prehistoric sites
* New bridges and new and widened pathways would be constructed through the 56-acre braided stream area of Lower Yosemite Fall preventing natural sideways stream meandering, impacting wetlands, degrading and destroying wildlife habitat, traditional Miwuk gathering areas and archeology (see Lower Yosemite Fall sheet)
Outside Yosemite Valley:
* Extensive parking areas are planned replete with commercial services producing development and sprawl
* A 600' road segment would be plowed through an intact Yosemite National Park forest to facilitate private development (at Hazel Green)
* Administrative stables would be moved to a sensitive low elevation meadow/wetland habitat, requiring the trucking of horses and the widening of roadways (McCauley Meadow -- this should be designated Wilderness)
* A black oak sloped Park woodland is in the works to be traded and graded for a private lodging development. (Wawona, SDA Camp) Pristine Park wetlands would be traded to a developer at El Portal (Fischer exchange)
* Construction would occur in sensitive habitat and endangered species foraging areas (e.g. Great Gray Owl)
* Large new tracts of employee housing and administrative development would be built on undisturbed land at El Portal, Wawona, and/or Foresta
Contact: Joyce Eden
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