From: [email protected] Subject: Yosemite National Park Oversight Field Hearing Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973 – E-mail: [email protected] Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE – Washington, DC 20003 Phone: 202-210-2357 – Fax: 202-543-7126 – E-mail: [email protected] Tuesday, April 22, 2003 Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Oversight Field Hearing 10:00 a.m. in Yosemite National Park (Outdoors next to Residence 1, the former Superintendent's House between Yosemite Village and the Yosemite Lodge). In case of inclement weather the hearing will be held in the East Auditorium in Yosemite Village). The Implementation of The Yosemite Valley Plan: On December 29, 2000, the National Park Service signed the Record of Decision for the Yosemite Valley Plan (YVP)/Final Environment Impact Statement (FEIS). The Record of Decision represented the conclusion of a lengthy planning process to provide direction for managing natural and cultural resources, facilities, and visitor experiences in Yosemite Valley for the next decade. The purpose of the Yosemite Valley Plan was to present and analyze alternatives that took a comprehensive look at Yosemite Valley and provide specific actions to preserve Yosemite Valley's natural, cultural, and scenic resources, and to provide opportunities for high-quality, resource-based experiences for visitors. According to the NPS, the Valley continues to be congested and overcrowded with more than a thousand park facilities (stores, homes, garages, apartments, lodging facilities and restaurants), and the Valley floor is bisected by approximately 30 miles of roadway which now accommodate a million cars, trucks and buses a year. Critics of the YVP believe the NPS is exploiting the damage caused by the 1997 Merced River Flood to forward its own internal preservationist agenda to reduce access to the Valley, especially those day visitors who prefer to use their own cars. In releasing the Final Plan, the NPS selected Alternative 2 - the preferred alternative - from the five alternatives offered. Alternative 2 would remove further development from along the Merced River (including campgrounds) and move many facilities out of Yosemite Valley. Invited Witnesses: Panel 1: Ms. Fran Mainella, Director, National Park Service Panel 2: Mr. Stephen Welch, Executive Vice President, The Pines Resort, Bass Lake, California Ms. Peggy Mosley, Owner, Groveland Hotel, Groveland, California Mr. Kevin Kelly, Vice President of Operations, Yosemite Concession Services Corporation, Yosemite National Park, California Panel 3: Mr. Allan Abshez, Camping Enthusiast, Los Angeles, California Mr. Paul Minault, Northern California Regional Coordinator, The Access Fund, San Francisco, California Mr. Jay Thomas Watson, California/Nevada Regional Director, The Wilderness Society, San Francisco, California Mr. George Whitmore, Chairman, Sierra Club Yosemite Committee, Fresno, California -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.