http://www.nps.gov/yose News releases from Yosemite National Park. en-us http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/hdcablesup13.htm Mon, 20 May 2013 14:15:32 EST The cables on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park will be in place and open for the season on Friday, May 24, 2013, weather permitting. The cables provide access to the summit of Half Dome, one of Yosemite’s most popular hikes. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/fireseason513.htm Fri, 17 May 2013 11:22:09 EST The 2013 Fire Season in Yosemite National Park will begin on Monday, May 20, 2013. Fire season officially begins when seasonal firefighting equipment and personnel are in place, prepared and ready to respond. Additionally, grasses and other vegetation at the lower elevations have begun to dry out. This year, vegetation is drying out faster than average due to the low snowpack the park received over the last two winter seasons, making for fire danger above average for this time of year. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/tiogaopens513.htm Fri, 10 May 2013 12:20:52 EST The Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park will open for the season tomorrow, Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. for all vehicular traffic. The Tioga Road, bounded on both sides by State Highway 120, is the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada. Vault toilets are available in several locations along the road. Limited visitor services will be available over the next several weeks. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/stensbysar513b.htm Tue, 07 May 2013 14:32:14 EST Yosemite National Park Rangers have recovered the body of missing hiker Kenneth Stensby near the base of Vernal Fall. Stensby was fatally injured after falling from a cliff near the top of the waterfall. His body was discovered by Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue Ranger personnel and was extricated at about 1:00 p.m. today. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/stensbysar513a.htm Mon, 06 May 2013 14:11:39 EST Yosemite National Park Rangers are conducting a search for a missing hiker, 73 year old Kenneth Stensby, who set off on a day hike early Sunday morning, May 5, en route to Vernal Fall. Stensby, an avid hiker from Edina, Minnesota, has been in the park for several days and is staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel. He left a note early Sunday morning informing the hotel staff that he was leaving for the hike early and expected to be back at the hotel by noon. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/gpopens13.htm Wed, 01 May 2013 11:01:02 EST The Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park will open for the season Friday, May 3, 2013, at 12:00 p.m. There will be limited visitor services available at Glacier Point. Vault toilets will be available, and there will be no running water. There is no projected opening date for the Bridalveil Creek Campground. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/mrpextension13.htm Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:04:33 EST Yosemite National Park announces the extension of the public comment period for the Merced Wild and Scenic River Draft Comprehensive Management and Environmental Impact Statement (MRP) through Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Previously, the public comment period was slated to close on Thursday, April 18, 2013. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/wawonarxfire41513.htm Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:01:12 EST Yosemite National Park Fire Managers have rescheduled a prescribed burn in the Wawona area for Monday, April 15, 2013. The burn, originally scheduled for the beginning of April, was postponed because of wet conditions. Ignition of the burn is dependent on weather and moisture levels. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/nbscholarships13.htm Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:58:01 EST With a $10,000 grant from the Northern and Central California Region of the Wells Fargo Foundation, NatureBridge is proud to offer scholarship funding for high school students in California’s Central Valley for a two-week backcountry science expedition in Yosemite National Park. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/earthday2013.htm Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:23:56 EST Yosemite National Park will celebrate National Park Week and Earth Day beginning on Saturday, April 20, through Sunday, April 28, 2013. Special events and activities are being sponsored and organized by the National Park Service (NPS), DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. (the park’s primary concessioner), Yosemite Conservancy, and the Ansel Adams Gallery. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/ycoa2013b.htm Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:12:51 EST New outdoor art workshops and captivating live theater performances add to the richness and drama of a visit to spectacular Yosemite National Park. Among the art and theater programs for 2013 announced today by Yosemite Conservancy are a new opportunity to paint amid the ancient Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, a gripping performance of how African-American cavalryman patrolled Yosemite’s wilderness years ago, and a thrilling first-hand account of rescues by park emergency response teams. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/wawonarxfire2013a.htm Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:44:48 EST Yosemite National Park Fire Managers are planning a prescribed fire in the southern portion of the park. The burn will start on Thursday, April 4, 2013 or later, and is dependent on weather conditions. Specifically, the burn area is located near the community of Wawona. The total prescribed burn area will include 150 acres. The prescribed area is at the optimal fuel moisture level to successfully complete the project. This will be the first prescribed burn of the 2013 fire season. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/mgeismeetings.htm Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:35:22 EST On Feburary 26, 2013, Yosemite National Park released the Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Mariposa Grove DEIS)for public review and comment. The public comment period for the Mariposa Grove DEIS is open through Tuesday, May 7, 2013. The document is available for public review on the park's website. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/ycoa2013.htm Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:17:21 EST Yosemite Conservancy unveiled an exciting line-up of Outdoor Adventures for 2013 that give visitors a rare opportunity to experience Yosemite National Park’s glorious backcountry, wilderness, geology, art and culture in small groups led by renowned experts. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/hdlottery13.htm Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:29:39 EST Half Dome cables day use permits for the 2013 hiking season will be available for reservation starting tomorrow, Friday, March 1, through Sunday, March 31, 2013. Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required seven days per week and reservations will be distributed via a lottery system. Successful parties will be notified in early April. A maximum of 300 hikers will be allowed on the Half Dome cables per day. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/localbenefits13.htm Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:54:02 EST A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2011 shows that over four million visitors to Yosemite National Park spent over $379 million in communities surrounding the park. This spending supported 5,057 jobs in the local area. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/mgrovedeis.htm Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:02:18 EST Yosemite National Park releases the Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Mariposa Grove DEIS) for public review and comment. The public comment period for the Mariposa Grove DEIS is open today through Tuesday, May 7, 2013. The document is available for public review on the park's website. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/nbregistr13.htm Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:44:35 EST Registration is now open for two-week field research course. NatureBridge, the largest residential environmental education partner of the National Park Service, opened registration for the Summer Field Research Course at its Yosemite campus. This two-week immersive backcountry expedition will give participants the opportunity to conduct rigorous field science investigations in one of the most iconic national parks in the country. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/lyellglacier.htm Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:32:16 EST The Lyell Glacier, the largest glacier in Yosemite National Park, has stagnated, or ceased its downhill movement, according to a recent study conducted by scientists from the National Park Service and the University of Colorado. The adjacent Maclure Glacier is still moving at its historical rate, about one inch per day. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/trrehab13.htm Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:42:53 EST Yosemite National Park signs the Tioga Road Rehabilitation Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI records the decision of the National Park Service to rehabilitate, restore and resurface approximately 41 miles of the Tioga Road. The Tioga Road, bounded on both sides by State Highway 120, and open seasonally, is a popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/mrptrpmeetings2013.htm Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:02:39 EST On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 Yosemite National Park released two Wild and Scenic River Draft Comprehensive Management Plans and Environmental Impact Statements for the Merced River (MRP) and the Tuolumne River (TRP) for public review and comment. The public comment period for the TRP is open through Monday, March 18, 2013. The public comment period for the MRP is open through Thursday, April 18, 2013. Both documents, in their entirety, are available for public review on the park’s website. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/mlkfreeday13.htm Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:29:12 EST In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Yosemite National Park will offer free admission into the park on Monday, January 21, 2013. The fee free waiver is for all visitors in honor of the holiday. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/mrptrpdraft.htm Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:15:54 EST Yosemite National Park announces the release of two Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statements for the Merced River (MRP) and the Tuolumne River (TRP) for public review and comment. The public comment period for the MRP is open now through Thursday, April 18, 2013. The public comment period for the TRP is open now through Monday, March 18, 2013. Both documents, in their entirety, are available for public review on the park’s website beginning today. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/hdplan2013.htm Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:27:50 EST Yosemite National Park announces the signing of the Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). This document records the decision of Yosemite National Park to adopt a new day-use permit program for the Half Dome Trail which includes continued use of the Half Dome cables. Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular hikes in Yosemite National Park. The iconic granite monolith, at 8,842 feet above sea level, attracts people from all over the world who attempt to climb to the summit. Most visitors ascend Half Dome via the cables, which are typically in place from mid-May through mid-October. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/planesearchsuspended12.htm Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:20:31 EST Single Engine Plane Missing Since Monday, December 17, 2012. The search for the missing plane over Yosemite National Park and adjacent areas has been suspended. The single engine plane was last detected via radar in the afternoon on Monday, December 17, over the North Dome area in the park. Search efforts throughout the week have failed to yield clues or evidence regarding the plane’s location. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/missingplan12.htm Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:49:24 EST Plane Last Accounted For Flying Near North Dome in Park on Monday, December 17, 2012. Yosemite National Park continues the search for a single engine plane that may have gone missing over the park on Monday, December 17, 2012. The plane was last detected via radar in the afternoon on December 17, near the North Dome area in the park. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/cbc12.htm Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:19:09 EST Yosemite National Park is participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) to be held on Sunday, December 16, 2012. This is the 81st year that Yosemite is participating in the CBC and the park has contributed over 90,000 observations to this important and fun conservation event. The park joins this event with tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country every year. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/tiogaclosed12.htm Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:29:40 EST The significant storm systems that passed through the Yosemite Area over the weekend resulted in an estimated five and a half feet of snow accumulation in Tuolumne Meadows. Due to this significant storm, the Tioga and Glacier Point Roads in Yosemite National Park are closed for the season. These roads close each fall and remain closed throughout the winter months until weather conditions permit reopening in the spring next year. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/hanta_8-27-12.htm Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:48:19 EST The recent diagnosis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in two Californians, one of whom died, has prompted Yosemite National Park to scale up its public health response and outreach. The National Park Service Office of Public Health learned over the weekend of a confirmed third case, which resulted in a fatality, and probable fourth case, of hantavirus in individuals who visited Yosemite National Park in June of this year. An outreach effort is currently underway by the park concessioner to contact visitors who stayed in “Signature Tent Cabins” at Curry Village from mid-June through the end of August. These individuals are being informed of the recent cases and are being advised to seek immediate medical attention if they exhibit any symptoms of hantavirus. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/hanta_2012.htm Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:46:29 EST The recent diagnosis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in two Californians, one of whom died, has prompted Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state public health officer, to remind Californians to take precautions to prevent exposure to the virus that causes HPS at their places of residence, work, and recreation.