Yosemite National Park Announces Extension of the Public Scoping Period for the Mariposa Grove Restoration

Date: December 14, 2011

Public Comments on Project Accepted through February 3, 2012

Yosemite National Park announces the extension of the public scoping period for the Mariposa Grove Restoration Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will close on Friday, February 3, 2012. The socping her period has been open since August, 2011. The Mariposa Grove is the largest of the three giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) groves in Yosemite National Park and was part of the original Yosemite Grant signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 (the rest of the grant included Yosemite Valley). The park is asking for the public to help park managers identify issues and concerns that they would like considered for preparation of the EIS.  

The proposed plan aims to restore the Giant Sequoia habitat in the Mariposa Grove. This would be accomplished through a range of actions including:

• Restoring the natural hydrology within the grove
• Removing unnecessary infrastructure
  
• Realigning roads and trails in sensitive sequoia habitat
• Relocating the existing visitor parking
• Reducing visitor trampling of soils and vegetation around the giant sequoias

The project also seeks to improve the visitor experience within the Mariposa Grove by assessing visitor facilities and transportation.

The public is invited to attend an Open House in Yosemite Valley at the Valley Visitor Center Auditorium on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Park staff will be present to provide information on the proposed project, and will be available to answer questions and accept comments.

The public is encouraged to submit scoping comments electronically through the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) database at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/mariposagrove, or by mail to: Superintendent, Yosemite National Park, Attn: Mariposa Grove Restoration EIS, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389. Comments should be received by Friday, February 3, 2012.