Some Sense at Yosemite

The flood of January 1997 devastated much of Yosemite Valley’s campgrounds and lodging. It also created a splendid opportunity to implement portions of a long-standing master plan to ease congestion and thin out the development squeezed within the walls of El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock and other massive granite facades.

The 1980 plan envisioned a significant cut in tourist lodging and employee housing in the valley and the relocation of some campgrounds away from the Merced River’s banks.

Congress appropriated $140 million to repair flood damage and to rebuild a number of facilities outside the flood plain in concert with the master plan. But the National Park Service rushed ahead with reconstruction of destroyed Yosemite Lodge units and employee housing under a flawed separate plan. While part of the goal of reducing the number of lodge units would be met, the buildings would create a new environmental impact on a forested area north of the present lodge and wall off the historic rock climbers’ campground known as Camp 4.

The Sierra Club and climber organizations sued to block the location of the new buildings, arguing that the Park Service did not conduct a sufficient environmental impact study and that the work would violate the master plan’s dictate to reduce the space occupied by development in the park. Fortunately, a federal judge agreed and appropriately halted the planned construction.

Now, the Park Service has seen the light, announcing Monday that new construction will be unified with the master plan. Yosemite chief planner Chip Jenkins says there is certain to be a significant reduction in the number of new buildings. We hope the location of those structures will be reconsidered.

“People really want Yosemite to be a better place,” Jenkins said. Indeed, people have been saying that for 20 years. It’s good the Park Service is listening now. Too bad it took a court order to get the agency’s attention.