Electronic Newsletter, November 11, 2008

November 6, 2008

Public Scoping Period Underway for Tioga Road Trailheads Project
Scoping period now open until December 12

Yosemite National Park is preparing a Tioga Trailheads Environmental Assessment (EA) to provide corridor-wide trailhead design guidelines; to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources; and to improve visitor safety, access, and enjoyment. This project would consider alternative means to improve traffic and pedestrian travel patterns, way-finding, accessibility, interpretation, picnicking facilities, food storage, and waste management.

This project will address eight of the twelve designated trailheads along the Tioga Road, including (from east to west): Gaylor Lakes at Tioga Pass, Mono Pass, Snow Creek, May Lake, Porcupine, Yosemite Creek/Ten Lakes, Lukens Lake, and Tamarack Flat/Aspen Valley. (NOTE: The Gaylor Lakes and Cathedral Lakes trailheads are being addressed in the Tuolumne River Plan (TRP) and the Sunrise and Murphy Creek trailheads will be addressed in the Tenaya Lake Area Concept Plan.)

Public Scoping
An environmental assessment is currently underway. Public scoping is open from November 6 through December 12, 2008. Comments with issues, ideas, and suggestions for the Tioga Trailheads Project may be submitted during this period. The public will have a second formal comment period when the environmental assessment is ready for review (anticipated in winter 2009/2010). Although there will be two formal opportunities to comment on this plan, it is important to remember that comments are welcome at any time during the planning process. A field visit previously scheduled for November 8 has been cancelled. Additional field visits will be scheduled in the spring and early summer of 2009.

• Visit www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/ttp.htm to find the most up-to-date information about the Tioga Road Trailheads Project.
• Attend a National Park Service public open house on December 3, 2008 at the Yosemite Valley Auditorium from 1 to 4 pm to talk with park staff and obtain more information about this (and other) projects.
• Attend a site visit to select trailheads along the Tioga Road after the Tioga Road opens in 2009.
• Add your name to the park’s planning mailing list and receive the Planning Update newsletter as well as other planning-related notices. You can also submit your email address to receive the park’s periodic electronic newsletter.
• Additionally, you can submit comments with your thoughts about this topic or any other projects in the park by any of the following means:
  Mail: Superintendent
  P.O. Box 577
  Yosemite, CA 95389
  Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
  E-mail: e-mail us
  Visit online: www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/planning.htm to find out about plans and projects or www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience to find out about science & nature in Yosemite National Park.

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Public Scoping Announced for Parkwide Communications Data Network Environmental Assessment

Yosemite National Park is announcing the public scoping period for the Parkwide Data Communication Network Environmental Assessment (EA). Public scoping comments will be used to assist the park in developing a range of reasonable and feasible project alternatives that meet the purpose and need, including a no action alternative, and analyzes the environmental effects of each. A 30-day public scoping period for this EA will open on November 12, 2009 and will run until December 11, 2009. Written comments should be postmarked no later than December 11, 2009.

Effective communications are critical to Yosemite National Park’s success in protecting park resources and delivering a range of services to park visitors. Currently, Yosemite relies on an outdated and unreliable communication system that performs poorly or fails in bad weather and does not share a single “backbone” to transmit telephone, radio, computer, or other information. Many developed areas of the park—Wawona, Crane Flat, Hodgdon Meadows, Hetch-Hetchy, and Tuolumne Meadows—are serviced by old telephone wires; employees therefore rely on time-consuming dial-up modems for computer network and internet access, and many types of data cannot be transferred. Only El Portal and Yosemite Valley have an upgraded system that provides shared network access, private branch exchange telephones (that use extensions), and high speed internet.

The purpose of the proposed project is to upgrade Yosemite’s internal communications system with more reliable, efficient technology and create a communications backbone that can support all the park’s communication needs. The new communication network would employ modern technology to provide a platform for computer LAN data, radio communications, security and safety video systems, telephony, burglar/intrusion and fire alarm systems, traffic collection data, and telemetry. This communication would be handled on one shared system rather than multiple independent systems.

• Attend a National Park Service public open house on December 3, 2008 at the Yosemite Valley Auditorium from 1 to 4 pm to talk with park staff and obtain more information about this (and other) projects.
• Add your name to the park’s planning mailing list and receive the Planning Update newsletter as well as other planning-related notices. You can also submit your email address to receive the park’s periodic electronic newsletter.
• Additionally, you can submit comments with your thoughts about this topic or any other projects in the park by any of the following means:
  Mail: Superintendent
  P.O. Box 577
  Yosemite, CA 95389
  Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
  E-mail: e-mail us
  Visit online: www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/planning.htm to find out about plans and projects or www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience to find out about science & nature in Yosemite National Park.