Introduction

The Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) defines cumulative effects as:

…the impact on the environment which results from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency (Federal or non-federal) or person undertakes such actions. (40 Code of Federal Regulations Section 1508.7)

The National Park Service initiated an iterative process with individuals, groups, and agency officials in order to assess the past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions that may contribute to incremental impacts when combined with actions proposed in the East Yosemite Valley Utilities Improvement Plan. As part of the process, the National Park Service contacted county planning departments in each of the eight major counties surrounding Yosemite National Park, planning offices or city economic development councils in each of the seven key cities in the Yosemite National Park region, and other federal land management agencies with jurisdiction over lands surrounding Yosemite National Park. The region of evaluation was established relative to each impact topic discussed in the East Yosemite Valley Utilities Improvement Plan Environmental Assessment and with an understanding of the common issues to be addressed in the impact analysis. The following projects may have potential cumulative impact when considered along with actions called for in the East Yosemite Valley Utilities Improvement Plan.

Projects

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Cook’s Meadow Ecological Restoration

Description: The restoration of Cook’s Meadow is the restoration of a dynamic and diverse wetland ecosystem. The Cook’s Meadow restoration project included the following actions:

§         Fill four drainage ditches created by early Euro-American settlers

§         Remove a raised, abandoned roadbed and a trail that bisected the meadow

§         Reconstruct the trail on an elevated boardwalk that now allows water to flow freely and reduces foot traffic on sensitive meadow plants

§         Install culverts under Sentinel Road to direct runoff into the meadow and restore the natural flow of water from the Merced River during seasonal periods of high water

Reduce non-native plant species encroaching on native species by using manual, mechanical, and chemical control methods.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Curry Village Employee Housing

Description: This project is tiered off the Yosemite Valley Plan. This project includes the design and construction of new employee housing and related facilities to accommodate approximately 217 concession employees in the area west of Curry Village in Yosemite Valley. This housing will replace concessioner housing lost in the January 1997 flood. The employee housing units will be designed in accordance with the character of the area, with particular focus on the Curry Village Historic District. The scope of this housing project includes providing parking and access, an employee wellness center, concessioner housing, management offices, maintenance facilities, postal facilities, and housing-related storage.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Rehabilitate Yosemite Valley Campground Restrooms

Description: This project will rehabilitate a total of 19 six-stalled restrooms in Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and North Pines Campgrounds, as well as the 15- to 20-foot walkway approach to each restroom. Work will include replacement of staff partitions by installing graffiti-resistant surfaces, painting of exterior trim and interior walls and floors, replacement of mirrors and toilet paper dispensers, repair of outside privacy screens, improvements to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements (replacement of entry doors, installation of grab bars and titled mirrors as necessary), replacement of wall vents, replacement of signs, replacement of electric service panels, improvement of lighting, and replacement of fill material for walkway approaches.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Discovery View Scenic Overlook Vault Toilet Installation

Description: This project proposes to install a vault toilet at the Discovery View scenic overlook in Yosemite Valley. Work will include purchasing a four-unit manufactured concrete vault toilet structure, excavating the vault site, and assembling of the restroom on site.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Eagle Creek Merced River Ecological Restoration

Description: Eagle Creek flows into Yosemite Valley about one-half mile downstream from Yosemite Lodge. The banks of Eagle Creek between Northside Drive and the Merced River are badly eroded and only sparsely vegetated, partly due to trampling by pedestrians. A project began in summer 2002 to recontour and revegetate the eroded riverbank, decompact the trampled river terrace; and construct fences to direct visitors to sandbars for river access.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Ecological Restoration of Flood-Damaged Yosemite Valley Campgrounds

Description: This project is tiered off the Yosemite Valley Plan. The ecological restoration seeks to restore natural processes to an ecosystem so that the area can recover from past human development and activities. A plan is being developed for the ecological restoration of the Upper River, Lower River, North Pines, and the northwest end of Lower Pines campgrounds; Group Camp, Backpackers Camp; Housekeeping Camp within the River Protection Overlay of the Merced River; and The Ahwahnee tennis court in Yosemite Valley. As part of this project, surveys are being conducted for archeological sites; the history of human disturbance in the area is being investigated; the former distribution of meadow, wetland, and forest communities is being investigated; a restoration prescription is being developed that recognizes the retention, modification, or removal of bridges, bicycle paths, riprap, and roads; the necessity and extent of revegetation is being determined; a revegetation strategy is being developed; and monitoring of river channel morphology, vegetation transects, tree density, and photo points are being installed.

Ecological restoration may include:

§         Removal of imported fill material

§         Removal of abandoned roads and infrastructure

§         Re-establishment of natural contours on the land

§         Restoration of natural surface and ground water movement

§         Replanting of native vegetation

§         Removal of non-native plant and animal species

§         Restoration of carbon and nitrogen cycles in degraded soils

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Lower Yosemite Fall Project

Description: This project consists of improving and rehabilitating the physical infrastructure at the 56-acre Lower Yosemite Fall area. The project work includes rebuilding/rehabilitating trails; removing several trail segments; rebuilding/rehabilitating five pedestrian bridges; constructing one new pedestrian bridge; removing one pedestrian bridge; removing the existing parking area and revegetating it to natural conditions; constructing a new shuttle bus stop; replacing/relocating the restroom; creating new access points; fabricating and installing new directional signs; creating a gathering circle for groups; restoring portions of forest and creekside habitat to natural conditions; installing amenities such as bicycle racks, picnic tables, public telephones, drinking fountain, and trash cans; enlarging the viewing areas new the base of the fall; and providing educational exhibits.

This improvement project will enhance a world-class visitor experience, create a loop trail system that is fully accessible to people with mobility impairments, reduce the perception of crowding and congestion at main views and along the trail, and improve the hydrology of the braided stream system by replace the narrow bridges that replace the natural stream flow.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Yosemite Fire Management Plan Update

Description: The National Park Service is updating the 1990 Yosemite National Park Fire Management Plan. The objectives associated with updating the plan are to improve ecosystem health, enhance public safety, and provide guidance to park operations for successfully integrating fire with other vegetation management principles. The plan addresses prescribed fire, wildland fire, and community fire protection services. It also addresses parkwide fire issues and consider effects to burn units, vegetation associations, air resources, watersheds, soils, cultural landscapes, and other natural, cultural, and social resource variables.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Happy Isles Dam Removal

Description: The Merced River supports one of the last unaltered high-elevation aquatic ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada. Several small impoundments exist on the river, however, degrading the quality of the aquatic systems and depreciating its integrity as a Wild and Scenic River. The Happy Isles Dam impoundment, located at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, has been abandoned since the mid-1980s. The remaining infrastructure consists of a low rock and concrete dam, two steel-reinforced concrete and iron diversion gates, numerous pipes above and below ground near the dam, and an 8-foot by 12-foot granite powerhouse foundation. The dam and diversion gates cause a large eddy and scour pool (100 feet wide by 15 to 20 feet deep) directly upstream of the obstruction, which dramatically alters local hydrology, water chemistry, and ecology. The project would consist of removing the Happy Isles dam and associated infrastructure and revegetating the riverbanks to prevent post-project bank erosion.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Cascades Diversion Dam Removal

Description: The Cascades Diversion Dam is located on the main stem of the Merced River at the far west end of Yosemite Valley. The dam is a timber “crib” structure with associated concrete abutments. Removing the dam is part of the overall intent of the Merced River Plan and Yosemite Valley Plan to restore free-flowing conditions to the Merced Wild and Scenic River. In its present deteriorated condition, the dam also presents a significant public health and safety hazard due to the potential for uncontrolled collapse.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Happy Isles Fen Habitat Reclamation Project

Description: The Happy Isles Fen is a 2-acre wetland immediately west of the Happy Isles Nature Center in Yosemite Valley. In 1928, the National Park Service filled in about three additional acres of the fen to create a parking lot. The asphalt parking lot was removed in 1970, though imported fill remained. The area impacted by parking lot construction will be restored to wetland conditions by removing imported fill and associated upland vegetation, and revegetating with native wetland plants. Project implementation began in fall of 2002 and will continue for several years.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Happy Isles Gauging Station Bridge Removal

Description: The Happy Isles Gauging Station Bridge spanned the Merced River in Yosemite Valley’s east end. The bridge was badly damaged during the January 1997 flood and was deemed unsafe by representatives of the Federal Highway Administration. The bridge began to show signs of immediate failure in 2000 when a large sinkhole appeared on the west abutment. Due to the threat to public health and safety, the bridge was removed in the fall of 2001. The east abutment was retained to protect the operation of the stream flow gauge. Landscaping was completed in 2002.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Happy Isles to Vernal Falls Trail Reconstruction

Description: This project proposes to reconstruct 5,400 linear feet of the Vernal Fall Trail from Happy Isles to the base of the Mist Trail stairs. Actions include construction of an average tread width of seven feet; rebuilding of trail walls; redistribution of old pavement as sub-base; and application of layers of aggregate road base, tack oil, and asphalt, with a granite dust topcoat. On steeper sections of the trail, improved traction will be provided for pedestrians. A functioning drainage system will be established in the trail corridor by paving water breaks and constructing rock drainages to channel water away from the trail.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name:  Curry Village and East Yosemite Valley Campground Improvements

Description: This project is tiered off the Yosemite Valley Plan. A site plan is being developed for the eastern portion of Yosemite Valley to implement actions called for in the Yosemite Valley Plan. The project area generally extends south of the Merced River from the eastern boundary of Housekeeping Camp to Happy Isles, as well as the area along Tenaya Creek for proposed campsites. The site plan will ensure that all related actions proposed for the east Valley are implemented in a logical, feasible, and cost-effective manner. Most of the actions will not begin for several years, but in the meantime, the site plan will result in a more detailed picture of how and in what order the projects in the east Valley should be implemented. Following are examples of the many actions identified in the Yosemite Valley Plan for east Yosemite Valley:

§         Reconfiguring campgrounds at Upper and Lower Pines

§         Adding campsites at the new South Camp and Tenaya Creek Campgrounds

§         Removing Curry Orchard and restoring the area to natural conditions

§         Constructing new visitor cabins-with-bath in Curry Village

§         Relocating the Curry Village ice rink

§         Providing new and reconfigured food service and concession facilities at Curry Village

§         Relocating the concessioner stable

§         Converting Southside Drive to two-way traffic

§         Constructing a fire station in the Curry Village area

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Yosemite Valley Shuttle Bus Stop Improvements

Description: This project is tiered off the Yosemite Valley Plan. This project consists of the preparation of preliminary design plans, environmental compliance documents, and construction drawings; and the construction of six 10- by 80-foot concrete braking pads, and the rehabilitation or replacement of 94,000 square feet of asphalt road approaches.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: El Portal Road Project

Description: As part of the road improvements included in the Yosemite Valley Plan, El Portal Road between Pohono Bridge and the intersection of the Big Oak Flat Road with the El Portal Road (at the west end of Yosemite Valley) would be improved. This segment of road has two narrow travel lanes, each 9.5 feet wide. Subsequent to the January 1997 flood, this road failed east of the Big Oak Flat/El Portal Road intersection and was repaired temporarily. Road improvements would be designed to improve safety and minimize the chance of roadway failures in the future.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: Mariposa County

Project Name: Mariposa County General Plan Update

Description: The Mariposa County General Plan will update county-wide zoning ordinances and related implementing documents. This update is intended to allow Mariposa County to comply with current California law. Specifically, it is intended that this would allow Mariposa County to comply with changes to state law that have changed since the 1980 General Plan was adopted. This update will follow established public involvement protocol and may respond to countywide land-use issues.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan

Description: In 1999 and 2000, the National Park Service developed a comprehensive management plan for sections of the Merced Wild and Scenic River that it administers. The purpose of the Merced River Plan, which was released in 2001, is to protect and enhance the river’s Outstandingly Remarkable Values for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

The final plan and environmental impact statement was released to the public in July 2000; the planning process was completed in August 2000, with the signing of the Record of Decision. Included in the plan are descriptions of the boundaries, the official classification of river segments, and a description of the Outstandingly Remarkable Values associated with the Merced River. The Merced River Plan’s land-use zoning prescriptions have served as a guide to protect river values during the Yosemite Valley Plan process, and have thereby directed the type of potential development and potential levels of use allowed within the river corridor in Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and El Portal.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Replacement/Rehabilitation of Yosemite Valley Main Sewer Line

Description: This project consists of the construction of a slip line sewer between Yosemite Creek Lift Station and the El Capitan Wood Yard and also includes the selective replacement of manholes.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: Counties–Mariposa, Merced, Mono; National Park Service; U.S. Forest Service; California Department of Transportation; U.S. Department of Transportation.

Project Name: Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System

Description: The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System is operated by the YARTS Joint Powers Authority (JPA) formed by Mariposa, Merced, and Mono Counties. The YARTS JPA resulted from a collaborative, inter-agency effort begun in 1992 to evaluate the feasibility of a regional transportation system and to identify the best options for initial implementation and upkeep of such a system. YARTS maintains formal and informal relationships with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, and other entities. The YARTS Mission Statement is as follows:

Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System will provide a positive alternative choice for access to Yosemite National Park for visitors, employees and residents. Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System service is not intended to replace auto access or trans-Sierra travel, but is intended to provide a viable alternative that offers a positive experience, maximizing comfort and convenience for riders while guaranteeing access into the park. (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Strategy 1999).

Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System has four primary objectives:

§         Increase transportation options

§         Reduce reliance on automobiles

§         Support local economies

§         Improve regional air quality

Decisions on the placement of bus stops, staging areas, and transfer facilities are local land use decisions that will be made by the County Board of Supervisors, and by the National Park Service for locations inside the park boundaries.

The YARTS is in its fourth year of operation. The YARTS JPA Board of Commissioners contracts with private carriers to provided scheduled transit service between Merced, Mariposa, and Yosemite Valley year round and between Mammoth, Lee Vining, and Yosemite Valley during the summer season. The target market for YARTS service includes those visitors staying overnight in the gateway communities and employees working at Yosemite National Park who live in the gateway communities. Visitor ridership has grown at a rate of about 20% per year.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Yosemite Lodge Area Redevelopment

Description: This project is tiered off the Yosemite Valley Plan. The project collectively known as the Yosemite Lodge Area Redevelopment includes four separate actions as described in the General Management Plan and the Yosemite Valley Plan: redevelopment of Yosemite Lodge, redesign of Camp 4, relocation of Northside Drive, and design of the Indian Cultural Center. All actions occur in the Yosemite Lodge area of Yosemite Valley and include the following:

§         Yosemite Lodge will be changed from a motel-type of experience to one more connected to a national park lodge experience in Yosemite Valley.

§         Yosemite Lodge facilities in the river protection zone and the floodplain will be removed

§         Camp 4 will be redesigned to accommodate the expansion and improvements called for in the Yosemite Valley Plan.

§         Northside Drive in the Yosemite Lodge and Camp 4 area will be relocated south of the lodge to reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians and to provide safer pedestrian access between the lodge and the Lower Yosemite Fall area.

§         Through a cooperative agreement with the American Indian Council of Mariposa County, Inc., an Indian Cultural Center will be established at the site of the last historically occupied Indian village in Yosemite Valley (just west of Camp 4 and Yosemite Lodge). The project is designed with two major components: a traditional village and a modern community building. The traditional structures will be built by Indian Council members and volunteers.

The site designs for this project will be evaluated in an environmental assessment scheduled for release in 2003. Construction of the Yosemite Lodge Area Redevelopment is scheduled to begin in 2003 or 2004.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Agency Name: National Park Service

Project Name: Yosemite Valley Plan

Description: The National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director signed the Record of Decision for the Final Yosemite Valley Plan and its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on December 29, 2000. The purpose of the Yosemite Valley Plan is to present a comprehensive management plan for Yosemite Valley – from Happy Isles at the east Valley to the intersection of the El Portal and Big Oak Flat Roads near Cascades Diversion Dam at the west end. It also presents actions in adjacent areas of the park and the El Portal Administrative Site that directly relate to actions proposed in Yosemite Valley. The specific purposes of the Yosemite Valley Plan within Yosemite Valley are to:

§         Restore, protect, and enhance the resources of Yosemite Valley

§         Provide opportunities for high-quality, resource-based visitor experiences

§         Reduce traffic congestion

§         Provide effective park operations, including employee housing, to meet the mission of the National Park Service

Yosemite Valley Plan actions will reduce fragmentation between the highly valued natural resource areas from Clark’s Bridge downstream to Swinging Bridge. Areas in the eastern portion of Yosemite Valley that have been degraded or fragmented (such as the Merced River and its tributaries, wetlands, meadows, and California black oak woodlands) will be restored to one large and dynamic river-governed ecosystem. There will be minimal new development west of the Yosemite Lodge area.

Parking for 550 day-visitors’ vehicles will be consolidated in the Yosemite Village area and (in peak season) in three out-of-Valley areas (El Portal, Badger Pass, and Hazel Green or Foresta). Shuttle buses will transport visitors to locations throughout Yosemite Valley and also between the Valley and out-of-Valley parking areas. A new visitor center and transit center will be located in Yosemite Village adjacent to day-visitor parking. These actions will result in a major reduction of vehicular congestion in the eastern portion of Yosemite Valley during summer months.

There will be more campsites and fewer lodging units than there are today. The area of the former Upper River and Lower River Campgrounds will be restored to a mosaic of meadow, riparian, and California black oak woodland communities. The River Protection Overlay[1] prescribed in the Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan will be implemented in Yosemite Valley and the El Portal Administrative Site. Southside Drive will be converted to two-way traffic from El Capitan crossover to Curry Village, and Northside Drive will be closed to motor vehicles from El Capitan crossover to Yosemite Lodge and converted to a multi-use (bicycle and pedestrian) paved trail.

The following is a list of many of the actions that will occur under the Yosemite Valley Plan in relation to existing conditions (see Volume IA, page 2-47, of the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS for a complete discussion of actions):

Facilities and services that will be removed under the Yosemite Valley Plan include: roads through Stoneman Meadow and the southern portion of Ahwahnee Meadow (including the road through the former Upper River and Lower River Campgrounds); North Pines Campground; historic Sugar Pine Bridge (to restore the hydrologic system of the Merced River); other historic structures including the concessioner stable, Concession Headquarters, Village Garage, Cascades Diversion Dam, and five Cascades residences north of El Portal Road; the abandoned wastewater treatment plant in El Portal from a sensitive cultural resource area; most parking (including at Lower Yosemite Fall) in east Valley, other than at lodging, campgrounds, and the Yosemite Village area; five motel buildings from Yosemite Lodge; and commercial trail rides in Yosemite Valley.

Facilities to be constructed under the Yosemite Valley Plan include: a day-visitor parking area for 550 vehicles at Yosemite Village; a visitor center and transit center near the day-visitor parking area at Yosemite Village; a new shuttle bus stop, restroom, enlarged viewing area near the base of Yosemite Falls, interpretive exhibits, and an informal gathering/viewing area in the Lower Yosemite Fall area; a vehicle bridge across Yosemite Creek near Yosemite Lodge; a possible replacement footbridge at Happy Isles near the Nature Center; lodging at Yosemite Lodge and Curry Village; campsites at Camp 4 (Sunnyside Campground); campsites east of Curry Village, in the Upper Pines and Lower Pines areas, and along Tenaya Creek; employee housing at Curry Village, Yosemite Village, El Portal, Wawona, and Foresta; and two fire stations, one in the Yosemite Village area (outside of the Yosemite Village Historic District), and one in the Curry Village area.

The Yosemite Valley Plan will establish and implement: a Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) study and program to monitor existing and desired conditions for natural resources, cultural resources, and visitor experience; a traveler information and traffic management system to provide information to visitors, provide incentives for efficient use of available parking and transportation services, and manage access and parking; seasonal out-of-Valley day-visitor parking areas at Badger Pass, El Portal, and Hazel Green or Foresta; some utility hookups for recreational vehicles and shower facilities in campgrounds; and design guidelines for new construction and for rehabilitating the landscape in historic developed areas.

The Yosemite Valley Plan will convert: the Yosemite Museum/Valley District Building back to its historic function as a museum; Southside Drive from El Capitan crossover to Curry Village to two-way traffic (road widened where necessary); Northside Drive from El Capitan crossover to Yosemite Lodge from a vehicle road to a multi-use (bicycle and pedestrian) paved trail; and the trail to the base of Yosemite Falls to a route accessible by people with mobility impairments.

The Yosemite Valley Plan will increase or expand: shuttle bus service west to Bridalveil Fall and out-of-Valley parking areas; interpretive and orientation services, including a new visitor center in Yosemite Valley and visitor contact stations at or near principal park entrances; and multi-use paved trails.

The Yosemite Valley Plan will reduce: stock trails by approximately 0.5 mile (private stock use will continue on all other designated trails); lodging to approximately 961 units (including approximately 100 units at Housekeeping Camp); and traffic entering the east Valley on a typically busy day by 50%.

The Yosemite Valley Plan will relocate: employee housing to El Portal, Foresta, and Wawona (subject to further site planning, environmental review and public participation), leaving 723 employee beds in Yosemite Valley; National Park Service and concessioner administrative stables operations to McCauley Ranch in Foresta; National Park Service and concessioner headquarters out of Yosemite Valley; the historic Superintendent’s house (Residence 1) and its garage to a site within the Yosemite Village Historic District; and museum collections storage, research library, and archives consolidated in Yosemite Valley.