User Capacity Program for the Merced River Corridor
The National Park Service recently released the User Capacity Program for the Merced Wild and Scenic River Corridor. This document presents a detailed look at the park’s efforts to address user capacity throughout the 81 miles of the Merced River that flow through Yosemite National Park. It takes a network of mechanism and methods to assist park managers in making decisions relating to use. From guiding legislation to systems that have been in place for decades to the latest park efforts, the program provides an elaborate system of protection for the Merced River’s Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs).
One tool used in the program is the Visitor Experience and Research Protection (VERP) framework, as called for in the Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan. VERP serves as a report card to measure how well the park is protecting and enhancing the river’s ORVs. Through VERP, the park has adopted a set of indicators and standard which identify and quantify the kinds and levels of use that are appropriate, as well as where and when such uses should occur. The results of this first year of monitoring will be presented to the public at the end of the year.
Also
in this newsletter:
- User Capacity Program for the Merced River