WawonaNews.com - March 2025
Wawona Friends of the Library Update:
March 17, 2025
Wawona Friends of the Library operates under the umbrella of the Mariposa County Friends of the Library, a 501(c)3 non-profit (EIN: 77-0092545) organization.
Mariposa Friends of the Library is delinquent in filing IRS and CA documents since the 2020 year which has disqualified them from their non-profit status until all the proper documents have been filed and accepted.
From the Mariposa Friends of the Library website page (mariposafol.org):
The Friends of the Library has suspended all operations involving receiving or dispensing of money. This is due to the fact that we are behind on our IRS filings. We apologize to the public and we are working on rectifying it.
Therefore, the Wawona Friends of the Library cannot accept and deposit dues or donations until all filings have been completed for 2021, 2022, & 2023. As Treasurer of the Wawona Friends of the Library, I am holding all checks received unless directed otherwise.
The latest information provided by the Mariposa Friends of the Library was that it could be up to 191 days before they are reinstated as 501c3 non-profit organization.
The Wawona Friends of the Library will not publish a Spring, 2025 Community Newsletter since we cannot accept dues or donations. We ask that you hold off renewing your Friends membership until the matter is resolved. We hope that we can resume with our June newsletter.
Any Park or community information that would be in the Spring newsletter will be available on the Wawona News website.
Pat Sischo
Wawona Friends of the Library Treasurer
[email protected]
March 17, 2025
Wawona Friends of the Library operates under the umbrella of the Mariposa County Friends of the Library, a 501(c)3 non-profit (EIN: 77-0092545) organization.
Mariposa Friends of the Library is delinquent in filing IRS and CA documents since the 2020 year which has disqualified them from their non-profit status until all the proper documents have been filed and accepted.
From the Mariposa Friends of the Library website page (mariposafol.org):
The Friends of the Library has suspended all operations involving receiving or dispensing of money. This is due to the fact that we are behind on our IRS filings. We apologize to the public and we are working on rectifying it.
Therefore, the Wawona Friends of the Library cannot accept and deposit dues or donations until all filings have been completed for 2021, 2022, & 2023. As Treasurer of the Wawona Friends of the Library, I am holding all checks received unless directed otherwise.
The latest information provided by the Mariposa Friends of the Library was that it could be up to 191 days before they are reinstated as 501c3 non-profit organization.
The Wawona Friends of the Library will not publish a Spring, 2025 Community Newsletter since we cannot accept dues or donations. We ask that you hold off renewing your Friends membership until the matter is resolved. We hope that we can resume with our June newsletter.
Any Park or community information that would be in the Spring newsletter will be available on the Wawona News website.
Pat Sischo
Wawona Friends of the Library Treasurer
[email protected]
More updates below
Yosemite Wawona Charter School News
On behalf of Wawona School, I extend our sincerest gratitude for your unwavering support during this challenging time. Our students continue to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience, a testament to the positive influence of their teachers and the entire community.
The school is thriving, and our students are excelling in all areas. They are actively engaged in afternoon clubs, exploring a wide range of activities including: digital art, French baking, and embroidery.
Parents and board members are currently organizing our spring fundraiser, which will include a bake sale and an online silent auction in May. We will share more information soon.
For any inquiries about the school, or how to get involved, please visit our website at www.yosemitewawonacharter.org
Thank you again for your continued support.
Savannah Pina
Yosemite Wawona Charter School Board Member
On behalf of Wawona School, I extend our sincerest gratitude for your unwavering support during this challenging time. Our students continue to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience, a testament to the positive influence of their teachers and the entire community.
The school is thriving, and our students are excelling in all areas. They are actively engaged in afternoon clubs, exploring a wide range of activities including: digital art, French baking, and embroidery.
Parents and board members are currently organizing our spring fundraiser, which will include a bake sale and an online silent auction in May. We will share more information soon.
For any inquiries about the school, or how to get involved, please visit our website at www.yosemitewawonacharter.org
Thank you again for your continued support.
Savannah Pina
Yosemite Wawona Charter School Board Member
Yosemite Hospitality (Aramark): Update
We anticipate running all services as normal:
-Glacier Point: Friday May 9th-Sunday October 26th weather and conditions permitting
-Golf Shop is anticipated to be relocated to Wawona Store 8am to 6pm
-Golf course opening May 9th October 26th conditions permitting 8am-6pm
-Stables May 26th through September 7th conditions permitting
-Wawona Store hours 8am to 8pm 7days a week
-We do not anticipate running a food truck and with the land assignment change the pool will not be open for the duration of the renovation.
Rachel Miller
We anticipate running all services as normal:
-Glacier Point: Friday May 9th-Sunday October 26th weather and conditions permitting
-Golf Shop is anticipated to be relocated to Wawona Store 8am to 6pm
-Golf course opening May 9th October 26th conditions permitting 8am-6pm
-Stables May 26th through September 7th conditions permitting
-Wawona Store hours 8am to 8pm 7days a week
-We do not anticipate running a food truck and with the land assignment change the pool will not be open for the duration of the renovation.
- The post office hours will remain as normal Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm
- Shuttle service in the Wawona area is not anticipated this year
Rachel Miller
Tom Bopp at The Redwoods in Yosemite
We are excited to welcome pianist and singer Tom Bopp, who will be performing concerts at The Fireside Room on a few occasions this upcoming year, here at The Redwoods! We are still working on the details and exact dates/times, but could not wait to share the news with the Wawona Community! The events will be FREE of charge, however donations will be accepted.
We are also gearing up for peak season as bookings are coming in and our cabin rentals calendar is filling up. As usual, at The Redwoods we will host our Annual Homeowners Events on Friday, April 4th and Saturday April 5th.
As always, for any comments, questions or concerns, please stop by our front desk daily between 8am-430pm or call us at 209-375-6666. Wishing everyone a wonderful Spring and Summer Seasons!
Yuli Gotsev
Marketing Manager
The Redwoods In Yosemite
We are excited to welcome pianist and singer Tom Bopp, who will be performing concerts at The Fireside Room on a few occasions this upcoming year, here at The Redwoods! We are still working on the details and exact dates/times, but could not wait to share the news with the Wawona Community! The events will be FREE of charge, however donations will be accepted.
We are also gearing up for peak season as bookings are coming in and our cabin rentals calendar is filling up. As usual, at The Redwoods we will host our Annual Homeowners Events on Friday, April 4th and Saturday April 5th.
As always, for any comments, questions or concerns, please stop by our front desk daily between 8am-430pm or call us at 209-375-6666. Wishing everyone a wonderful Spring and Summer Seasons!
Yuli Gotsev
Marketing Manager
The Redwoods In Yosemite
Wawona Pine Needle Pickup
Spring is fast approaching, and with it comes the Pine Needle Pickup in Wawona. Scheduled for the first week of May, beginning May 5, 2025.
To ensure efficient planning and execution, Wawona residents are required to complete a signup sheet. The signup sheet is available online at the following link:
https://www.mariposacounty.org/formcenter/public-works-7/pine-needle-pick-up-program-signup-sheet-73
A printable PDF version is also available and can be completed and mailed in or submitted during the event at the Wawona Library on March 22, 2025.
https://www.mariposacounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/97500/Pine-Needle-Signup-Sheet
Additionally, staff will be on hand to answer questions, provide assistance, and collect completed signup sheets on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 9:00 am to Noon at the Wawona Library.
For the pickup process, pine needle piles must be accessible from the edge of a county or privately maintained roadway and placed in an area free of obstructions such as water valves, utility poles, or landscaping. Woody material accompanying the piles must be incidental, less than an inch in diameter, and no longer than two feet. It's important to note that Mariposa County will not be responsible for any damage to private property obscured by pine needle piles.
Completed signup sheets can be submitted electronically by pressing the "Submit" button on the form, sent via U.S. Mail to the Public Works address provided on the form, or dropped off at the Public Works Department during normal business hours or at the Wawona Library from 9:00 am to Noon on March 22, 2025. All completed forms must be received by April 18, 2025.
Please note that this program applies exclusively to Wawona properties subject to the quarterly solid waste services fee charged by Mariposa County, as administered by the Mariposa County Public Works Department. Completion of the Pine Needle Pickup Signup Sheet is an annual requirement.
Public Works will only collect piles that are accessible from the road and WILL NOT enter private property. Mariposa County is not responsible for any damage to personal property. Please ensure pine needle piles are placed in a clear location, free of obstructions such as water valves.
PILE REQUIREMENTS: Woody material must be incidental to the pile, less than an inch in diameter, and less than two feet long. Woody material is limited to twigs and small branches that will shed with the pine needles.
Samuel Cerveny
Deputy Director, Public Works
Phone 209-966-5356
Email scerveny@mariposacounty.org
Web www.mariposacounty.org
Spring is fast approaching, and with it comes the Pine Needle Pickup in Wawona. Scheduled for the first week of May, beginning May 5, 2025.
To ensure efficient planning and execution, Wawona residents are required to complete a signup sheet. The signup sheet is available online at the following link:
https://www.mariposacounty.org/formcenter/public-works-7/pine-needle-pick-up-program-signup-sheet-73
A printable PDF version is also available and can be completed and mailed in or submitted during the event at the Wawona Library on March 22, 2025.
https://www.mariposacounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/97500/Pine-Needle-Signup-Sheet
Additionally, staff will be on hand to answer questions, provide assistance, and collect completed signup sheets on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 9:00 am to Noon at the Wawona Library.
For the pickup process, pine needle piles must be accessible from the edge of a county or privately maintained roadway and placed in an area free of obstructions such as water valves, utility poles, or landscaping. Woody material accompanying the piles must be incidental, less than an inch in diameter, and no longer than two feet. It's important to note that Mariposa County will not be responsible for any damage to private property obscured by pine needle piles.
Completed signup sheets can be submitted electronically by pressing the "Submit" button on the form, sent via U.S. Mail to the Public Works address provided on the form, or dropped off at the Public Works Department during normal business hours or at the Wawona Library from 9:00 am to Noon on March 22, 2025. All completed forms must be received by April 18, 2025.
Please note that this program applies exclusively to Wawona properties subject to the quarterly solid waste services fee charged by Mariposa County, as administered by the Mariposa County Public Works Department. Completion of the Pine Needle Pickup Signup Sheet is an annual requirement.
Public Works will only collect piles that are accessible from the road and WILL NOT enter private property. Mariposa County is not responsible for any damage to personal property. Please ensure pine needle piles are placed in a clear location, free of obstructions such as water valves.
PILE REQUIREMENTS: Woody material must be incidental to the pile, less than an inch in diameter, and less than two feet long. Woody material is limited to twigs and small branches that will shed with the pine needles.
Samuel Cerveny
Deputy Director, Public Works
Phone 209-966-5356
Email scerveny@mariposacounty.org
Web www.mariposacounty.org
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of February 11.
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
Sean Wisner - $10,000 donation
Pledgeling Foundation - $595.11
ACTION ITEMS
January 31.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Second Interim Budget Report
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
- CALL TO ORDER
- ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
- CONSENT AGENDA
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of February 11.
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
Sean Wisner - $10,000 donation
Pledgeling Foundation - $595.11
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
- APPROVAL OF 2025-26 INDEPENDENT AUDIT FIRM SELECTION
- APPROVAL OF THE 2nd INTERIM BUDGET REPORT
January 31.
- APPROVAL OF CONTRACT WITH ARC FOR FACILITY USE DURING THE SUMMER.
INFORMATION ITEMS
- STAFF REPORTS/ CHARTER FUTURE PLANNING
- BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS UPDATE
- FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Second Interim Budget Report
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- ADJOURNMENT
Yosemite High School Nite On The Town Music Concert
I’d like to invite all Wawona area supporters to the Yosemite High School Music Program’s Annual Nite on the Town event. YHS has an amazing music program. The new young music director Megan Rice has enlivened the program and has already had a real impact on the community. Her students have auditioned for and are now attending prestigious university music programs.
Our sons have both participated in the program. Our second is a freshman now and will be playing trombone at the event.
Nite on the Town is a concert highlighting all the ensembles including wind, jazz, concert, choral, drums, strings and soloists. This year it overlaps with the WAPPOA meeting the first weekend of April, so I thought the members might like to be invited. Tickets are still available and the details are on the flyer below.
Katie Henderson
I’d like to invite all Wawona area supporters to the Yosemite High School Music Program’s Annual Nite on the Town event. YHS has an amazing music program. The new young music director Megan Rice has enlivened the program and has already had a real impact on the community. Her students have auditioned for and are now attending prestigious university music programs.
Our sons have both participated in the program. Our second is a freshman now and will be playing trombone at the event.
Nite on the Town is a concert highlighting all the ensembles including wind, jazz, concert, choral, drums, strings and soloists. This year it overlaps with the WAPPOA meeting the first weekend of April, so I thought the members might like to be invited. Tickets are still available and the details are on the flyer below.
Katie Henderson
Click on the image above for full details
Join us on Sunday, April 6th, for Stacy’s Celebration of Life at the Wawona Community Center. This will be a potluck event; bringing a dish is not a requirement, only love and fond memories are required. There will be time to share those favorite memories, stories, and honor a very special person who will be greatly missed.
Stacy's family
Stacy's family
Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau Addresses YNP Federal Staffing Cuts
With the significant number of articles being written and distributed by the media, I hope the following will provide clarity.
Across the USA, National Park and Federal workers have faced dismissals. Our hearts go out to those affected by job loss and the challenges it brings them and their families. We recognize their dedication and the impact of their service.
As always, we are committed to promoting Mariposa County and bring visitors to our destination, from within California, throughout the United States and internationally. The rest of this email provides an update of our work from our most recent board meeting.
Warm regards,
Jonathan
Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau
With the significant number of articles being written and distributed by the media, I hope the following will provide clarity.
Across the USA, National Park and Federal workers have faced dismissals. Our hearts go out to those affected by job loss and the challenges it brings them and their families. We recognize their dedication and the impact of their service.
- Yosemite National Park is not closed, nor do we expect services to be cut or limited.
- The federal government eliminated 1,000 National Park positions for staff in probationary hiring status across 428 National Parks and historic sites.
- According to reports, no law enforcement rangers or safety services staff positions were cut.
- Within the past two days, the National Park Service has resumed hiring 5,000 seasonal employees.
- Yosemite National Park reported a delay on www.Recreation.gov for some camping reservations between mid-June and mid-July. No reason was provided, however, we don’t believe this was a staffing-related decision.
- Lodging, restaurants, and retail stores inside the National Park are not impacted, as these services are provided by park concession staff independent of the Federal Government.
- The lodging industry funds our tourism bureau staff, so these Federal budget cuts do not directly impact us. We will continue to provide you with timely updates and support.
- We have not received an update if Yosemite National Park will implement another temporary vehicle reservation system in 2025. At this late date, our “best guess” is no. There were reservation systems after COVID-19 in 2021 & 2022 and a test system in 2024. There was no reservation system in 2023. We will continue to share any information promptly.
As always, we are committed to promoting Mariposa County and bring visitors to our destination, from within California, throughout the United States and internationally. The rest of this email provides an update of our work from our most recent board meeting.
Warm regards,
Jonathan
Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau
Group Claims Responsibility for Hanging Upside-down Stars and Stripes off of El Capitan in Yosemite
James Liddell - The Independent
Monday 24 February 2025
Yosemite National Park staffers claimed responsibility for an upside-down American flag being hung thousands of feet in the air to protest the Trump administration’s “attack” against public lands and mass layoffs of federal staff.
Thousands of visitors descended on California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range as the so-called “Distress flag” fluttered in the wind 3,000ft above the valley floor off the top of El Capitan, the tallest exposed vertical face of granite on Earth.
A group of six demonstrators rigged ropes and rappelled down the cliff face to unfurl the 30 by 50ft flag on Saturday.
The stunt was timed with the last weekend of the annual Firefall spectacle where the setting sun causes Horsetail Falls to take on a fiery orange glow. The upside-down flag was intentionally hung close to the waterfall.
“We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties,” Gavin Carpenter, a Yosemite maintenance mechanic who supplied and helped hang the flag, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“It’s super important we take care of them, and we’re losing people here, and it’s not sustainable if we want to keep the parks open.”
Eleven of Yosemite’s full-time staff members, including the park’s sole locksmith and a biologist received a termination email on February 14 – as did 1,000 permanent National Park Service employees across the country after the Trump administration directed federal agencies to carry out widespread layoffs.
At least 50 jobs that were originally cut are already being restored to help maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and collect admission fees, reports the Associated Press.
Many of Yosemite’s staffers live in employer-provided housing inside the national park.
“Since these cuts came, a lot of people are really uneasy and worried about what’s going to happen to them,” Carpenter said.
Historically, the upside-down flag represented an apolitical symbol of distress or national threat. It has been appropriated by both the left and right in protest – from those who expressed dissent with the overturning of Roe v. Wade to Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters who contested the result of the 2020 election.
Park visitors who saw the flag flying offered mixed responses.
“At first thought the upside-down flag was for Trump support, but then realized it was to support the national parks, and I was for it,” Las Vegas resident Tina Alidio told The Chronicle.
“I would rather see nature, contested Rebecca Harvey of Mariposa County, adding: “No hand of man.”
Shortly after hanging the banner, Yosemite National Park Service released a statement, claiming their display was a protest on behalf of public land.
“The purpose of this exercise of free speech is to disrupt without violence and draw attention to the fact that public lands in the United States are under attack,” it read. “Firing 1,000s of staff regardless of position or performance across the nation is the first step in destabilizing the protections in place for these great places.”
It continued: “These losses, while deeply personal and impactful, may also be invisible to visitors and members of the public – we are shining a spotlight on them by putting a distress flag on El Capitan in view of Firefall. Think of it as your public lands on strike.”
James Liddell - The Independent
Monday 24 February 2025
Yosemite National Park staffers claimed responsibility for an upside-down American flag being hung thousands of feet in the air to protest the Trump administration’s “attack” against public lands and mass layoffs of federal staff.
Thousands of visitors descended on California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range as the so-called “Distress flag” fluttered in the wind 3,000ft above the valley floor off the top of El Capitan, the tallest exposed vertical face of granite on Earth.
A group of six demonstrators rigged ropes and rappelled down the cliff face to unfurl the 30 by 50ft flag on Saturday.
The stunt was timed with the last weekend of the annual Firefall spectacle where the setting sun causes Horsetail Falls to take on a fiery orange glow. The upside-down flag was intentionally hung close to the waterfall.
“We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties,” Gavin Carpenter, a Yosemite maintenance mechanic who supplied and helped hang the flag, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“It’s super important we take care of them, and we’re losing people here, and it’s not sustainable if we want to keep the parks open.”
Eleven of Yosemite’s full-time staff members, including the park’s sole locksmith and a biologist received a termination email on February 14 – as did 1,000 permanent National Park Service employees across the country after the Trump administration directed federal agencies to carry out widespread layoffs.
At least 50 jobs that were originally cut are already being restored to help maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and collect admission fees, reports the Associated Press.
Many of Yosemite’s staffers live in employer-provided housing inside the national park.
“Since these cuts came, a lot of people are really uneasy and worried about what’s going to happen to them,” Carpenter said.
Historically, the upside-down flag represented an apolitical symbol of distress or national threat. It has been appropriated by both the left and right in protest – from those who expressed dissent with the overturning of Roe v. Wade to Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters who contested the result of the 2020 election.
Park visitors who saw the flag flying offered mixed responses.
“At first thought the upside-down flag was for Trump support, but then realized it was to support the national parks, and I was for it,” Las Vegas resident Tina Alidio told The Chronicle.
“I would rather see nature, contested Rebecca Harvey of Mariposa County, adding: “No hand of man.”
Shortly after hanging the banner, Yosemite National Park Service released a statement, claiming their display was a protest on behalf of public land.
“The purpose of this exercise of free speech is to disrupt without violence and draw attention to the fact that public lands in the United States are under attack,” it read. “Firing 1,000s of staff regardless of position or performance across the nation is the first step in destabilizing the protections in place for these great places.”
It continued: “These losses, while deeply personal and impactful, may also be invisible to visitors and members of the public – we are shining a spotlight on them by putting a distress flag on El Capitan in view of Firefall. Think of it as your public lands on strike.”
Click on the image above for full details
“
Please join us on March 28th for the Celebration of Life for Stacy Boydstun at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona where we will reveal her memorial bench. There will be a time to share our favorite memories, stories, and remember a very special person who will be greatly missed. RSVP at the link below.
The Wawona service will be announced this week.
Please join us on March 28th for the Celebration of Life for Stacy Boydstun at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona where we will reveal her memorial bench. There will be a time to share our favorite memories, stories, and remember a very special person who will be greatly missed. RSVP at the link below.
The Wawona service will be announced this week.
Vehicle Stickers February 2025
I have spoken with Parker Davis, our NPS Ranger in charge of all of the entrances to Yosemite. He also processes the requests for vehicle stickers, when he has time – which is approximately one or two days a week. He does have a co-worker, Cory Oliver, helping. They have also switched databases this year, which compounds the problem of getting the requests processed. He said to plan on a month or so turn-around time from your request to receiving your sticker(s).
The biggest delay is incomplete submissions. So here is a complete guide to what to send in with your request.
New stickers will be valid from January 2025 through December 2029.
You are receiving this letter because it is time to renew your fee exemption stickers.
The sticker program assists entrance station rangers in quickly identifying individuals who are exempt from entrance fees, thus expediting your access to your property. Expired stickers will be honored through April 15, 2025, enabling people who qualify for a sticker time to acquire a new one.
Guests or family members visiting private property within Yosemite National Park,
but who do not qualify for a vehicle sticker, are issued temporary admin permits at the entrance station.
A vehicle sticker will be issued to property owners, trustees, and immediate family members.
To receive new sticker(s), please email [email protected] with the following:
For Primary Owners
. Name
· Current vehicle registration(s) – digital copy is OK
· Phone number, email address, current mailing address, and property address (in Wawona)
For Multiple Family Members:
. Name of Primary Owner and name of Family Member
· Current vehicle registration(s).
· Your Phone number, email address, current mailing address, and property address (in Wawona)
· copy of Deed or trust for the property—this is only necessary if you are requesting stickers for multiple family members; county records only list the primary owner.
· If applicable, please explain the relationship of the family members to the primary property owner. You can write a note explaining who you are (child, parent, co-owner, caretaker of owner, etc.)
While email is preferred, we will also accept submissions through the mail at the following address:
Fee Management Office, PO Box 577, Yosemite CA 95389.
Do not call – the phone number from the past no longer works.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Thank you for your time. We look forward to assisting you and your fellow homeowners.
****** IMPORTANT *****
Parker will attend the April 5th WAPPOA meeting with 3 or 4 co-workers and can process your requests right there, if you have all the necessary paperwork with you. He will stay for several hours and, weather permitting, will be outside the door to the Community Center – open to all homeowners, including NON-WAPPOA owners.
There is also an official letter regarding vehicle sticker renewal from Cicely Muldoon, (retiring) NPS Yosemite Superintendent, attached below:
Trish Peterson
I have spoken with Parker Davis, our NPS Ranger in charge of all of the entrances to Yosemite. He also processes the requests for vehicle stickers, when he has time – which is approximately one or two days a week. He does have a co-worker, Cory Oliver, helping. They have also switched databases this year, which compounds the problem of getting the requests processed. He said to plan on a month or so turn-around time from your request to receiving your sticker(s).
The biggest delay is incomplete submissions. So here is a complete guide to what to send in with your request.
New stickers will be valid from January 2025 through December 2029.
You are receiving this letter because it is time to renew your fee exemption stickers.
The sticker program assists entrance station rangers in quickly identifying individuals who are exempt from entrance fees, thus expediting your access to your property. Expired stickers will be honored through April 15, 2025, enabling people who qualify for a sticker time to acquire a new one.
Guests or family members visiting private property within Yosemite National Park,
but who do not qualify for a vehicle sticker, are issued temporary admin permits at the entrance station.
A vehicle sticker will be issued to property owners, trustees, and immediate family members.
To receive new sticker(s), please email [email protected] with the following:
For Primary Owners
. Name
· Current vehicle registration(s) – digital copy is OK
· Phone number, email address, current mailing address, and property address (in Wawona)
For Multiple Family Members:
. Name of Primary Owner and name of Family Member
· Current vehicle registration(s).
· Your Phone number, email address, current mailing address, and property address (in Wawona)
· copy of Deed or trust for the property—this is only necessary if you are requesting stickers for multiple family members; county records only list the primary owner.
· If applicable, please explain the relationship of the family members to the primary property owner. You can write a note explaining who you are (child, parent, co-owner, caretaker of owner, etc.)
While email is preferred, we will also accept submissions through the mail at the following address:
Fee Management Office, PO Box 577, Yosemite CA 95389.
Do not call – the phone number from the past no longer works.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Thank you for your time. We look forward to assisting you and your fellow homeowners.
****** IMPORTANT *****
Parker will attend the April 5th WAPPOA meeting with 3 or 4 co-workers and can process your requests right there, if you have all the necessary paperwork with you. He will stay for several hours and, weather permitting, will be outside the door to the Community Center – open to all homeowners, including NON-WAPPOA owners.
There is also an official letter regarding vehicle sticker renewal from Cicely Muldoon, (retiring) NPS Yosemite Superintendent, attached below:
Trish Peterson
Park Ranger Bob Roney walks across the entrance of the Wawona Tunnel in Yosemite National Park, Calif.
Mark Boster/LA Times via Getty
U.S. senators issue dire warning for national parks
Yosemite Gateway Partners - Feb 14
Twenty-two democratic and independent U.S. senators sent a letter Friday morning to newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum imploring him to reconsider drastic measures taken by the Trump administration to reduce the workforce of the National Park Service, warning that the deep staffing cuts could force some national parks to close.
The letter comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 federal hiring freeze, which saw more than 2,000 job offers to seasonal Park Service employees rescinded. The administration has also offered early retirement and resignation options to millions of federal employees, including all of those who work for the park service.
Yosemite Gateway Partners - Feb 14
Twenty-two democratic and independent U.S. senators sent a letter Friday morning to newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum imploring him to reconsider drastic measures taken by the Trump administration to reduce the workforce of the National Park Service, warning that the deep staffing cuts could force some national parks to close.
The letter comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 federal hiring freeze, which saw more than 2,000 job offers to seasonal Park Service employees rescinded. The administration has also offered early retirement and resignation options to millions of federal employees, including all of those who work for the park service.
Park rangers meet in front of Yosemite Falls before President Barack Obama’s speech on June 18, 2016, in Yosemite National Park, Calif.
David Calvert/Getty Images
'Honestly terrifying': Yosemite National Park is in chaos
California's beloved national park is on the brink of disaster
SF Gate
By Ashley Harrell,National Parks Bureau Chief
Feb 13, 2025
Yosemite National Park is in trouble. Hamstrung by President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze, hundreds of rescinded job offers and the threat of coming layoffs, the park is poised to enter its busiest months of the year severely short-staffed. Not only that, but the park’s day-use reservation system — created to protect park resources and improve the visitor experience by reducing crowding — appears unlikely to return this year.
In addition, Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon is about to retire.
Worst of it all, say current and former National Park Service employees, nonprofit leaders and other Yosemite experts interviewed by SFGATE, is that decades of efforts to protect the park’s ecosystems for future generations are being derailed.
On lovely summer days, as many as 20,000 visitors show up to the park. “Catastrophic” is the word former Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher used to describe the looming staffing situation to SFGATE.
California's beloved national park is on the brink of disaster
SF Gate
By Ashley Harrell,National Parks Bureau Chief
Feb 13, 2025
Yosemite National Park is in trouble. Hamstrung by President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze, hundreds of rescinded job offers and the threat of coming layoffs, the park is poised to enter its busiest months of the year severely short-staffed. Not only that, but the park’s day-use reservation system — created to protect park resources and improve the visitor experience by reducing crowding — appears unlikely to return this year.
In addition, Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon is about to retire.
Worst of it all, say current and former National Park Service employees, nonprofit leaders and other Yosemite experts interviewed by SFGATE, is that decades of efforts to protect the park’s ecosystems for future generations are being derailed.
On lovely summer days, as many as 20,000 visitors show up to the park. “Catastrophic” is the word former Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher used to describe the looming staffing situation to SFGATE.
Beth Pratt poses with the wildlife crossing construction behind her in Agoura Hills, Calif., on March 5, 2024.
Ashley Hayes-Stone/SFGATE
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 55 years,” says Beth Pratt, a regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, who lives near Yosemite and is working on a book called “Yosemite Wildlife.” “Just to want to gut the Park Service? I don’t understand it.”
“This is honestly terrifying,” says Elisabeth Barton, a founding member of Echo Adventure Cooperative, a tour operator near the park. “We’re deeply concerned about the long-term health of Yosemite National Park under the current administration.”
Staffing challenges
The trouble began Jan. 20, when Trump issued an executive order that froze hiring across the federal government. Three days later, thousands of employees in the process of onboarding for federal agencies, including the Park Service, received emails stating that their job offers had been rescinded.
They included rangers and fee technicians — the people who collect money at park entrances and campgrounds — who were two months into the hiring process. The move created chaos at Yosemite, particularly because it seemed that the hiring freeze had been incorrectly applied to the seasonal staff.
On Jan. 20, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which is effectively the government’s human resources agency, issued a memorandum outlining exemptions to the hiring freeze. It specifically noted that “seasonal employees and short-term temporary employees necessary to meet traditionally recurring seasonal workloads” should not be included.
Elon Musk speaks with Donald Trump as they watch the launch of a SpaceX rocket on Nov. 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas. Musk is leading an assault on federal spending through the new Department of Government Efficiency.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
But as days ticked by, no corrective measures were taken. Then, on Jan. 28, the Trump administration sent emails offering resignation options to millions of federal employees, including those who work at Yosemite. The emails also discussed future cuts to the federal workforce, warning that “we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity.”
The administration has also been collecting the names of all federal employees within their probationary period (which includes anyone hired less than a year ago), it said in the email, and reminded agency leaders that these newest employees are the easiest to terminate.
On Feb. 6, the Trump administration sent yet another round of emails rescinding job offers to still more seasonal Park Service employees, including law enforcement rangers, wildland firefighters and EMTs — all positions explicitly related to public safety, which were also supposedly exempt from Trump’s Jan. 20 order for a hiring freeze. The Washington Post reported on Feb. 11 that some rescinded job offers were eventually re-extended to law enforcement rangers and public safety dispatchers, but how many is unclear.
Yosemite was granted an exception to hire “a couple” of communication dispatchers for a round-the-clock operation that directs emergency and general park radio traffic, according to the former superintendent Neubacher, who remains connected to the Yosemite community. The team had been down to just three employees, he added, but he wasn’t aware of any law enforcement or emergency service job offers being re-extended.
U.S. Senator from California Alex Padilla speaks on the last day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, on Aug. 22, 2024.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
“There’s a lot of fear right now, but nobody even knows who is making these decisions anymore,” said one Yosemite employee who requested anonymity to protect their job, which was granted in accordance with Hearst’s ethics policy.
There has been some pushback to the Trump administration’s plans. A federal judge temporarily blocked the White House from implementing the buyouts for federal employees; labor unions have argued that Trump does not have the authority to offer buyouts to all federal employees, which they say must be authorized by Congress given the representative body’s power of the purse. But on Feb. 12, the judge decided that the resignation program could move forward.
SFGATE reached out to the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, and Yosemite National Park for comment on the impending chaos. Yosemite officials didn’t respond, but a spokesperson for the Interior Department emailed a statement.
“The Department of the Interior is implementing President Donald J. Trump’s Hiring Freeze Executive Order across the federal civilian workforce,” it read. “The order allows for exemptions for certain positions, including those related to public safety. The Department is working to hire key positions that will continue to protect public and tribal lands, infrastructure, and communities from the impacts of wildfires through hazardous fuels management, wildfire preparedness, and close collaboration with interagency partners.”
Officials also told KBZK-TV in an emailed statement, “The Park Service is assessing its most critical hiring needs for the coming season.”
Meanwhile, millions of visitors are in a holding pattern about whether they’ll need a reservation to visit the park during the busiest months of the year.
Yosemite with no reservations
For the past five years, Yosemite officials have been testing out possibilities for a permanent reservation system that would mitigate wait times at the entrance, traffic throughout the park, crowding in parking lots, damage to park resources, threats to staff and visitor safety, and strain on park facilities.
The pilot programs were not without controversy. Visitors who didn’t have the luxury of planning ahead or purchasing expensive lodging or tours within the park found themselves unable to enter during peak hours, and hotel owners in gateway towns struggled when their guests couldn’t get into the park. In some cases, they canceled their trips, and in others, guests checked out of their hotels immediately and demanded refunds.
There has been some pushback to the Trump administration’s plans. A federal judge temporarily blocked the White House from implementing the buyouts for federal employees; labor unions have argued that Trump does not have the authority to offer buyouts to all federal employees, which they say must be authorized by Congress given the representative body’s power of the purse. But on Feb. 12, the judge decided that the resignation program could move forward.
SFGATE reached out to the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, and Yosemite National Park for comment on the impending chaos. Yosemite officials didn’t respond, but a spokesperson for the Interior Department emailed a statement.
“The Department of the Interior is implementing President Donald J. Trump’s Hiring Freeze Executive Order across the federal civilian workforce,” it read. “The order allows for exemptions for certain positions, including those related to public safety. The Department is working to hire key positions that will continue to protect public and tribal lands, infrastructure, and communities from the impacts of wildfires through hazardous fuels management, wildfire preparedness, and close collaboration with interagency partners.”
Officials also told KBZK-TV in an emailed statement, “The Park Service is assessing its most critical hiring needs for the coming season.”
Meanwhile, millions of visitors are in a holding pattern about whether they’ll need a reservation to visit the park during the busiest months of the year.
Yosemite with no reservations
For the past five years, Yosemite officials have been testing out possibilities for a permanent reservation system that would mitigate wait times at the entrance, traffic throughout the park, crowding in parking lots, damage to park resources, threats to staff and visitor safety, and strain on park facilities.
The pilot programs were not without controversy. Visitors who didn’t have the luxury of planning ahead or purchasing expensive lodging or tours within the park found themselves unable to enter during peak hours, and hotel owners in gateway towns struggled when their guests couldn’t get into the park. In some cases, they canceled their trips, and in others, guests checked out of their hotels immediately and demanded refunds.
A giant sequoia tree is featured on the National Park Service emblem on park ranger Scott Gediman’s uniform at the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/Getty Images
But anyone who has waited hours to enter Yosemite on a crowded summer day, only to get stuck in gridlocked traffic inside the park and not be able to find a parking spot, can understand the need for limits on visitation. Yosemite is one of the most popular national parks in the United States, with between 3 million and 5 million visitors showing up each year.
Park officials had hoped to announce a permanent reservation system early this year, but that’s now on hold while the Trump administration reviews the plan, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)
Yosemite’s website states that more information about reservations will become available after Feb. 26. “We recognize the importance of providing clarity on that system as soon as possible to accommodate peak summer season travel planning,” a statement from the park reads. “We are grateful for the robust public engagement in this process to shape an improved and sustainable visitor experience.”
Park officials had hoped to announce a permanent reservation system early this year, but that’s now on hold while the Trump administration reviews the plan, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)
Yosemite’s website states that more information about reservations will become available after Feb. 26. “We recognize the importance of providing clarity on that system as soon as possible to accommodate peak summer season travel planning,” a statement from the park reads. “We are grateful for the robust public engagement in this process to shape an improved and sustainable visitor experience.”
FILE: Tourists walk out to Glacier Point with a background view of Half Dome at Yosemite National Park.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
The Yosemite employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity says reservations are seeming unlikely. “Those of us left are being told to be prepared for chaos and having to cover,” the employee said.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Yosemite is forced to operate with a skeleton staff and no restrictions on visitors. In December 2018, during Trump’s first term, he and Congress reached an impasse over funding to build a wall on the Mexican border. A partial government shutdown left many federal employees, including most of the park’s staff, furloughed. Yosemite remained open through the 35-day shutdown and staff from Aramark, the private company that runs the park’s concessions, stayed on the job.
Without park rangers to guide and monitor their behavior, visitors left garbage at scenic viewpoints, brought dogs to ecologically sensitive meadows and other areas where pets were prohibited, drove over curbs, and even defecated on the ground next to locked restrooms, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. When temperatures dropped, the garbage and human waste froze to the ground.
“The trash cans weren’t getting emptied. There was so much garbage, and everything was getting overrun,” remembers Ken Yager, president of the Yosemite Climbing Association and founder of Yosemite Facelift, a yearly volunteer trash cleanup.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Yosemite is forced to operate with a skeleton staff and no restrictions on visitors. In December 2018, during Trump’s first term, he and Congress reached an impasse over funding to build a wall on the Mexican border. A partial government shutdown left many federal employees, including most of the park’s staff, furloughed. Yosemite remained open through the 35-day shutdown and staff from Aramark, the private company that runs the park’s concessions, stayed on the job.
Without park rangers to guide and monitor their behavior, visitors left garbage at scenic viewpoints, brought dogs to ecologically sensitive meadows and other areas where pets were prohibited, drove over curbs, and even defecated on the ground next to locked restrooms, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. When temperatures dropped, the garbage and human waste froze to the ground.
“The trash cans weren’t getting emptied. There was so much garbage, and everything was getting overrun,” remembers Ken Yager, president of the Yosemite Climbing Association and founder of Yosemite Facelift, a yearly volunteer trash cleanup.
A park ranger greets visitors at the Arch Rock entrance into Yosemite National Park, on Saturday, May 12, 2012.
Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/Getty Images
Yager predicts that if the park has no reservation system during peak periods this spring and summer, it’ll be “kind of a free-for-all.” Without enough law enforcement rangers, people will start moving rocks to create extra parking spots and driving around meadows or camping in them, he predicts. One of the biggest problems, though, is the potential impact on bears.
“There’s nothing worse for the bears than to be eating people food,” Yager says. “Doesn’t matter what kind of garbage or food you leave out, they’ll eat it, and it’s bad for them. They eat it packaging and all.” Bears that develop a taste for human food may also start breaking into cars, Yager adds, and will teach other bears how to do it. When bears are desensitized to humans, they also tend to find themselves in mortal danger.
Yager knows that area business owners angling for no reservations will be pleased to have more people coming through and spending money. But the park will pay the price. “Where is the balance between taking care of the park and overusing the park?” he asks.
The future of Yosemite
The idea of leaving one of the nation’s most beloved parks with few guardians and no limits on access has raised alarms.
Last week, California Sen. Alex Padilla and 21 other senators sent a letter to newly installed Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, asking him to reconsider deep staffing cuts to the national parks and raising awareness of what’s at stake.
“There’s nothing worse for the bears than to be eating people food,” Yager says. “Doesn’t matter what kind of garbage or food you leave out, they’ll eat it, and it’s bad for them. They eat it packaging and all.” Bears that develop a taste for human food may also start breaking into cars, Yager adds, and will teach other bears how to do it. When bears are desensitized to humans, they also tend to find themselves in mortal danger.
Yager knows that area business owners angling for no reservations will be pleased to have more people coming through and spending money. But the park will pay the price. “Where is the balance between taking care of the park and overusing the park?” he asks.
The future of Yosemite
The idea of leaving one of the nation’s most beloved parks with few guardians and no limits on access has raised alarms.
Last week, California Sen. Alex Padilla and 21 other senators sent a letter to newly installed Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, asking him to reconsider deep staffing cuts to the national parks and raising awareness of what’s at stake.
Park visitors gather at the Tunnel View observation point, at Yosemite National Park, on Saturday, May 12, 2012.
Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/Getty Images
“Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” the senators wrote.
In response to an inquiry from SFGATE, Padilla specifically addressed the issues at Yosemite. “The time to prepare for peak season at Yosemite is now, which is why I’m also pushing back on the Administration’s delays to finalize a durable reservation system that’s critical for ensuring the world-class visitor experience that people expect when they visit Yosemite,” Padilla wrote in an emailed statement.
All around California, conservationists, nonprofit leaders and other Yosemite enthusiasts are having these same dire conversations.
For Barton, the founder of the tour operator near Yosemite, the uncertainty surrounding the management of the park is agonizing. “We’re all super worked up over here!” she wrote SFGATE in a text message.
“The resignation of the superintendent, delays in critical visitor management systems, and the loss of experienced staff threaten not only the park’s ecological integrity but also the quality of visitor experiences and the continuity of vital scientific research,” Barton wrote. “Without strong leadership and consistent protections, we risk undoing decades of progress in conservation, accessibility and responsible stewardship.”
Mark Rose, the Sierra Nevada program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, worries things could get even worse with buyouts and potential layoffs looming.
“If any buyouts are taken, positions critical for human health and safety such as maintaining Yosemite’s wastewater treatment plants and high voltage lines could be left vacant,” Rose wrote in an email to SFGATE.
In response to an inquiry from SFGATE, Padilla specifically addressed the issues at Yosemite. “The time to prepare for peak season at Yosemite is now, which is why I’m also pushing back on the Administration’s delays to finalize a durable reservation system that’s critical for ensuring the world-class visitor experience that people expect when they visit Yosemite,” Padilla wrote in an emailed statement.
All around California, conservationists, nonprofit leaders and other Yosemite enthusiasts are having these same dire conversations.
For Barton, the founder of the tour operator near Yosemite, the uncertainty surrounding the management of the park is agonizing. “We’re all super worked up over here!” she wrote SFGATE in a text message.
“The resignation of the superintendent, delays in critical visitor management systems, and the loss of experienced staff threaten not only the park’s ecological integrity but also the quality of visitor experiences and the continuity of vital scientific research,” Barton wrote. “Without strong leadership and consistent protections, we risk undoing decades of progress in conservation, accessibility and responsible stewardship.”
Mark Rose, the Sierra Nevada program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, worries things could get even worse with buyouts and potential layoffs looming.
“If any buyouts are taken, positions critical for human health and safety such as maintaining Yosemite’s wastewater treatment plants and high voltage lines could be left vacant,” Rose wrote in an email to SFGATE.
Cars creep slowly from Fish Camp toward the western Highway 41 entrance of Yosemite National Park on June 18, 2024.
George Rose/Getty Images
On top of all that, neglecting to implement a reservation system would cause hourslong traffic jams and closures in Yosemite Valley, according to Rose. Some of the most loved places around the park would be virtually inaccessible because of a lack of parking availability. “We’re counting on Yosemite and national park leadership to bring back the popular day use reservation system this summer,” he wrote.
Neubacher can’t see how the park could function without hiring hundreds of seasonal workers and having a visitor management plan in place. Yet the former Yosemite superintendent is concerned that even if federal officials eventually decide to reissue job offers to Yosemite seasonal workers, it’ll be too late. Somewhere between 350 and 400 seasonal employees are onboarded every February and March, Neubacher said, which means even if new employment offers went out tomorrow, park operations would still be behind schedule.
There’s also the fact that recruiting enough workers is difficult in the first place. The jobs don’t pay much, and they often don’t come with housing or health insurance. Workers who do find their way into seasonal employment in Yosemite put up with the downsides of the job because they care deeply about the park and want to assist with its upkeep. But many can’t afford to sit around for months waiting to find out if they’ll have jobs in Yosemite this summer.
“From my years at Yosemite, I believe the park will have to stop specific functions (like no Half Dome cables can be installed) and close park areas,” Neubacher wrote in an email. “There is no way they can accommodate current visitation levels without additional staff support during the peak season.”
He worries that park employees and management will be put in an impossible position.
“This is one of America's greatest treasures,” he wrote, “and these reckless actions jeopardize its future.”
Neubacher can’t see how the park could function without hiring hundreds of seasonal workers and having a visitor management plan in place. Yet the former Yosemite superintendent is concerned that even if federal officials eventually decide to reissue job offers to Yosemite seasonal workers, it’ll be too late. Somewhere between 350 and 400 seasonal employees are onboarded every February and March, Neubacher said, which means even if new employment offers went out tomorrow, park operations would still be behind schedule.
There’s also the fact that recruiting enough workers is difficult in the first place. The jobs don’t pay much, and they often don’t come with housing or health insurance. Workers who do find their way into seasonal employment in Yosemite put up with the downsides of the job because they care deeply about the park and want to assist with its upkeep. But many can’t afford to sit around for months waiting to find out if they’ll have jobs in Yosemite this summer.
“From my years at Yosemite, I believe the park will have to stop specific functions (like no Half Dome cables can be installed) and close park areas,” Neubacher wrote in an email. “There is no way they can accommodate current visitation levels without additional staff support during the peak season.”
He worries that park employees and management will be put in an impossible position.
“This is one of America's greatest treasures,” he wrote, “and these reckless actions jeopardize its future.”
