From: [email protected] Subject: The NPS Wants To BUS Everyone In Yosemite 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] The NPS Wants To BUS Everyone In Yosemite You want to read this. If you don’t like Busing, it will be coming to a park near you unless you act NOW! Yosemite Freight and YARTS by Peggy Mosley Imagine this scenario and then decide if you really want to take a bus to tour Yosemite. It’s 8:30 AM. You, your spouse and two small children are totally excited about the prospects of visiting Yosemite for the very first time. You have debated about taking your own private vehicle (which could soon be forbidden) or leave the driving to them, and take the bus. You elect to try the bus. You gather your family, your Yosemite Freight, (which consists of a stroller, diaper bag, picnic basket for lunch, camera bag, bicycle, clothing change for the kids, etc.), open your wallet for the $28.00 fare for the four of you, (remembering, of course, that the gate fee is $20.00 for a 7 day pass, for as many people as you can safely put in your vehicle – for a 7 passenger van, that’s 41 cents per person day) and board the bus by 9 AM. The bus arrives and you load your ‘freight’ on the bus. Since Buck Meadows (Highway 120) is the last pickup stop prior to entering the park, you rumble along the scenic highway into Yosemite. Perhaps, your first stop will be Bridal Veil Falls, where you’ve heard about the spraying mist, the hike up the backside of the falls, etc. You arrive at Bridal Veil, and get off the bus – yes, you, your family and all your ‘freight’. Now what?? The kids are antsy after the hour plus ride and need to stretch their legs – not to mention the adults. Where will you leave all your belongings while you experience the Falls? Or what about that desire to hike up the backside? Someone must stay back to watch the ‘freight’! Now that you’ve ‘done’ Bridal Veil, the next bus arrives to spirit you off to the next stop – maybe the big meadow for your picnic. You load your ‘freight’ and family and head for the next stop, where you get to unload again, haul your ‘freight’ to the picnic site and proceed to have lunch. One of the kids is fascinated by the cute little striped yellow thing flying around the clover. Bingo!!! Now that is some sting on a tender little finger, that begins to swell amidst all the piercing screams of a child is great pain. What to do? Your vehicle with its trusty first aid kit is back at your hotel in Buck Meadows, and there’s no YARTS bus in sight to take you for first aid. Finally you get to the Visitor Center in the Valley and everyone needs a treat after the harrowing ordeal with the bee. Stop at Degnans for something and prepare to unload your wallet a second time. If you decide to take the 2.5 hour tour of the Valley Floor, expect to spend about $18/person. If you get out for under $100.00, consider yourself most frugal. It’s finally nearing 5 PM and almost time to find the YARTS bus where you can load your ‘freight’ for the final time and head back to your hotel, where you’ll arrive about 6:30 P.M. Wow!!! What a day – What a Yosemite Experience!!! Do you suppose Teddy Roosevelt ever imagined he was creating such a monster? I don’t think so! The one year YARTS Demonstration program was entirely successful. It clearly demonstrated that people will NOT ride a bus – the YARTS ridership during the demo period was primarily employees of NPS and YCS – riding at taxpayer expense. If the National Park Service busing plan in Yosemite goes through, you will see it in many other parks. Don’t allow that to happen. Send a letter of testimony to the following Congressmen who are holding a hearing on Yosemite April 22nd. You can address any Congressman at: Honorable _____________ , US House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 20515. Here are the National Parks Subcommittee Members expected at the Yosemite Valley Plan hearing April 22nd. Be sure to fax your Testimony to each of them. Congressmen on the National Parks Subcommittee Expected To Attend The Hearing: George Radanovich (R-CA) Chairman Phone: (202) 225-4540 FAX: (202) 225-3402 Website: www.radanovich.house.gov Barbara Cubin (R-WY) Phone: (202) 225-2311 FAX: (202) 225-3057 Website: www.house.gov/cubin Devin Nunes (R-CA) Phone: (202) 225-2523 FAX: (202) 225-3404 Website: www.nunes.house.gov Donna M. Christian-Christensen Phone: (202) 225-1790 FAX: (202) 225-5517 E-mail: [email protected] Other Committee Members Not Expected To Attend: (Fax testimony to them anyway.) Elton Gallegly (R-CA) Phone: (202) 225-5811 FAX: (202) 225-1100 Website: www.house.gov/gallegly John Duncan (R-TN) Phone: (202) 225-5435 FAX: (202) 225-6440 Website: www.house.gov/duncan Walter Jones Jr (R-NC) Phone: (202) 225-3415 FAX: (202) 225-3286 E-mail: [email protected] Chris Cannon (R-UT) Phone: (202) 225-7751 FAX: (202) 225-5629 E-mail: [email protected] John Peterson (R-PA) Phone: (202) 225-5121 FAX: (202) 225-5796 E-mail: [email protected] James Gibbons (R-NV) Vice Chairman Phone: (202) 225-6155 FAX: (2020 225-5679 E-mail: [email protected] Mark Souder (R-IN) Phone: (202) 225-4436 FAX: (202) 225-3479 E-mail: [email protected] Rob Bishop (R-UT) Phone: (202) 225-0453 FAX: (202) 225-5857 Website: www.house.gov/robbishop Please forward this message as widely as possible. -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.