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Yosemite Valley Campers Coalition |
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Click Here for the Petition to Save Yosemite Valley Campgrounds |
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Help Save Yosemite Valley's North Pines Campground Yosemite Valley Campers Coalition was formed to protect and preserve the family camping experience that has been part of Yosemite's history. Families, generation after generation, return to connect with the natural beauty that is so unique to Yosemite. For many, camping is a passionate tradition that promotes family unity among children, parents, and grandparents. Along the way, stories abound about life long friendships that were formed by campers meeting neighbor campers, which were cultivated over decades. Yosemite National Park, and in particular Yosemite Valley, must be available to all people and not become an "elitist" experience. Therefore, retaining the number of pre-flood campsites in Yosemite Valley is imperative. This action helps to ensure that all people will enjoy the opportunity to have a camper's experience in Yosemite. The linked petition will be sent to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Hand written petitions with nearly 500 signatures have already been sent. The petition is our voice that hopefully will be heard to restore and maintain family camping in Yosemite Valley. The Yosemite Valley Campers Coalition supports the delicate balance of maintaining the natural environment of the park yet allowing equal access for public enjoyment. The Yosemite National Park Service’s plan now is to ELIMINATE North Pines Campground unless we can find a way to stop them. With your signature on our petition, it may help to save this loss, and to restore the other lost campgrounds in the valley. Before the 1997 flood, there were more than 800 family friendly auto-based campsites in Yosemite Valley. The Park's 2000 Yosemite Valley Plan permanently eliminated Upper River Campground, Lower River Campground, a portion of Lower Pines Campground and the Group Campground in Yosemite Valley. Now, as a part of the Yosemite Valley Plan the park intends to remove North Pines Campground. The following table shows the erosion of campsites since the time prior to the 1980 General Management Plan through what is planned currently.
As part of the emergency flood appropriation, Congress gave the
National Park Service funding to repair these campgrounds in
Yosemite Valley--not to eliminate them. We oppose this arbitrary
action by the National Park Service. We believe the NPS breached any
public process in condemning the river damaged campsites and that
none took place in their condemnation.
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"As a Tuolumne County Supervisor I have communicated directly to the NPS my belief that they are in violation of Federal law in their plans to eliminate these campgrounds. They have a moral and ethical obligation to have properly informed and justified to the American people why they chose to violate Congress' and the President's intent to have these campgrounds reinstated after the 1997 flood event. If not stopped, the NPS will eventually eliminate most auto based, family friendly camping in Yosemite. Congress must take action, and you, by signing this petition, can help initiate that action to save America's National Parks for America's families." Thank you. Mark Thornton, Tuolumne County Supervisor _________________________ "Camping brings the visitor into a closer relationship with park resources, reduces dependence on developed lodgings and dining facilities, and focuses the attention of the visitor away from developed recreational facilities...and more towards the park's natural resources.
Paul Minault | |||||||||||||||
