“These comments will help make a better plan for Yosemite and a better visit for you in the future.”

Dear Friends of Yosemite:

PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD visit Yosemite in the summer. Many have planned all year long for their special time in the park. In recognition of this, we are now hard at work planning for the enjoyment of Yosemite’s future visitors.

In June, we released the Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement that will guide the National Park Service in protecting the river for generations to come. Thanks to the many excel-lent comments received from the public, the draft plan was revised and we now have a better plan for managing the Merced River.

On July 7, the public comment period closed for the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. We had an outstanding response from the public and received over 10,500 comments. These comments will help make a better plan for Yosemite and a better visit for you in the future. Now we are working hard to craft a final plan. We look forward to the release of the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement in November with a Record of Decision to be signed before the end of the year. Whether you visit every year or come on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, everyone agrees that Yosemite is an amazing place. With your help, we can work together to keep it that way.

Sincerely,

David A. Mihalic
Park Superintendent

A formalized approach was established to determine whether proposed actions within the bed or banks of the river would have an adverse impact on the values for which the river was designated.


Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs)
Two vital questions establish the criteria for ORVs: Is the value river-related or river-dependent? Is the value unique or exemplary to the region or nation?

(Photo Courtesy Yosemite Museum)

The Planning Update is an occasional publication of the National Park Service, Office of the Superintendent, Yosemite National Park, P.O. Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389.

Sue Beatty edited this issue with contributions from Jon Isaacs, Martha Lee, Tina Ogawa, Kristina Rylands, and David Siegenthaler.