P.O. Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389
www.nps.gov/yose/news

March 15, 2006
For Immediate Release

Yosemite National Park Invites Public To Open House and Public Meeting On User Capacity

The National Park Service welcomes those interested to attend an Open House in Yosemite Valley on Friday, March 24, 2006 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the Visitor Center Auditorium.

Following the Open House from 5:00pm-6:30pm there will be a public meeting to discuss user capacity management in the park. This will include an update on the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection program (VERP, the National Park Service's preferred method of managing user capacity in parks), as well as an overview of the soon-to-be released 2005 VERP Annual Report. Resource managers and park planning staff will be available to answer questions from the audience.

The public is invited to the Open House to:

• Talk to park staff and listen to presentations given throughout the day
• Access the latest news on various park projects
• Provide feedback on proposed projects and ongoing implementation efforts

Projects and topics that will be represented at the open house are:

• Hetch Hetchy Communications System Upgrade Project (open for public scoping)
• Hodgdon Meadow Trailer Replacement Project (open for public scoping)
• Yosemite Lodge Area Redevelopment Project
• Environmental Education Campus
• Rehabilitation of the Valley Loop Road (copies of Finding of No Significant Impact/FONSI available)
• Utility improvement projects ongoing in Yosemite Valley
• Yosemite Village Interim Parking Improvements

To submit comments or to request copies of either of the above documents via CD ROM or hard copy:

Mail: Superintendent
Attn: Planning Mailing List
National Park Service
P.O. Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389

Fax: 209/379-1294

Email: YOSE_Planning@nps.gov

Web: www.nps.gov/yose/planning

Visitors attending the Open House and/or Public User Capacity Meeting will have the entrance fee waived. If unable to attend, refer to the Yosemite National Park website for a schedule of future Open House dates.

-NPS-