Yosemite Valley Plan Must Allow for Families

Rep. George P. Radanovich (R-Mariposa) is correct in seeking to undo the Yosemite Valley Plan. And in your July 21 editorial, “A Yosemite-Size Arrogance,” you have identified the exact reason: “Those who might otherwise camp in the valley would be staying in the region’s motels and lodges and eating in its restaurants.” Rather than having the freedom to camp and eat inexpensively within the valley, the plan would virtually force visitors to triple or quadruple their expenses by paying the high costs of hotels and restaurants.

My family just spent the last week in June in Yosemite. In our seven days we never encountered traffic or parking problems. Not once. However, if the day comes when private vehicles are not allowed in the valley, I guarantee that families like mine will not return. There is no way we will be willing to schlep camera bags and ice chests onto buses and then carry them with us throughout the entire visit. It simply isn’t feasible. The Yosemite Valley Plan needs to be rethought, this time including the needs of real families, not simply those of the environmentalists. Thanks, Rep. Radanovich, for your willingness to stand up for common sense.

Douglas Love

Pomona