WawonaNews.com - February 2025

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

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.

'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.

“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.

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.

“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.

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.”

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.

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.

“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.

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.”

Badger Pass Not to Open This Year
Dear Badger Pass Fans, We are saddened to announce that the decision has been made with the National Park Service and Yosemite Hospitality that Badger Pass Ski Area will not open for the 2024-25 season due to lack of snow early enough in the season. We also want to recognize that there is snow in the forecast this week, however this forecast is arriving too late in the season and the snow totals have been too unreliable to wait any longer to be able to open Badger for less than a month.
Dear Badger Pass Fans, We are saddened to announce that the decision has been made with the National Park Service and Yosemite Hospitality that Badger Pass Ski Area will not open for the 2024-25 season due to lack of snow early enough in the season. We also want to recognize that there is snow in the forecast this week, however this forecast is arriving too late in the season and the snow totals have been too unreliable to wait any longer to be able to open Badger for less than a month.

YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, February 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 January 14
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
2nd Interim Budget Report
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, February 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 January 14
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
- APPROVAL OF THE 2023-2024 AUDIT CORRECTIONS REPORT
- APPROVAL OF AN INCREASE TO SUBSITUTE PAY TO $175 PER DAY (Same as other mountain area districts)
INFORMATION ITEMS
- STAFF REPORTS
- BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS UPDATE
- FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
2nd Interim Budget Report
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- ADJOURNMENT

Stacy Boydstun
Wawona's beloved teacher, Stacy Boydstun, passed peacefully Wednesday night (February 5th) from colon cancer in the presence of her loved ones. She will always be remembered for her legacy of “Giving Back.” Information regarding memorial services will be announced soon.
Wawona's beloved teacher, Stacy Boydstun, passed peacefully Wednesday night (February 5th) from colon cancer in the presence of her loved ones. She will always be remembered for her legacy of “Giving Back.” Information regarding memorial services will be announced soon.

Pile Burning
February 5, 2025
Pile Burning in El Portal, Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Foresta Woodlots This Week
Yosemite fire is planning on igniting the El Portal, Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Foresta woodlots this week. Additionally, there will be pile burning near the El Portal Trailer Court area February 5th-7th.
Residential Pile Burning
Residential pile burning is important for reducing fire hazards and can only be conducted on permissible burn days. Property owners and residents must follow all burning guidelines. After verifying if it's a permissive burn day in your county, be sure to notify Yosemite Dispatch at 379-1999 prior to burning.
February 5, 2025
Pile Burning in El Portal, Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Foresta Woodlots This Week
Yosemite fire is planning on igniting the El Portal, Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Foresta woodlots this week. Additionally, there will be pile burning near the El Portal Trailer Court area February 5th-7th.
Residential Pile Burning
Residential pile burning is important for reducing fire hazards and can only be conducted on permissible burn days. Property owners and residents must follow all burning guidelines. After verifying if it's a permissive burn day in your county, be sure to notify Yosemite Dispatch at 379-1999 prior to burning.

Yosemite Superintendent Cecily Muldoon Quits
SF Chronicle - Jan 29
Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon has announced that she is stepping down at the end of next month, leaving a hole in the management at one of the nation’s top parks.
Muldoon’s retirement follows a four-decade career at the National Park Service, which includes the past five years at Yosemite and, before that, 10 years as the head of Point Reyes National Seashore.
Muldoon is known within the federal agency as a manager who builds relationships with communities around parks and as a leader who inspires those who work for her.
The Bay Area native, who has long kept a houseboat in Sausalito and plans to retire there, was not available to discuss her departure with the Chronicle, but she told park employees in a Jan. 13 email that it had been an honor to work for the National Park Service.
“I am incredibly fortunate on so many fronts: to have lucked upon a career that enabled me to serve in some of the most incredible places in the country, to have found an organization with a compelling and inspirational mission that has sustained me through the highs and lows of federal service, and most importantly, to have worked with people like you who are so dedicated to public service and the NPS mission,” Muldoon wrote.
Muldoon’s work at Yosemite was partially shaped by the coronavirus pandemic. The park, shortly after she arrived, grappled with severe staffing shortages while Californians took to the outdoors in record numbers, prompting Yosemite to begin limiting entry into the park through a day-use reservation system.
Muldoon was supportive of ensuring a balance between visitation and park preservation, and the reservation system she piloted is expected to become permanent this year as crowds have continued to flock to the park.
She was the second woman to hold the top post at Yosemite. Her replacement has not been named.
The new superintendent will continue to face the challenge of crowding at the park as well as long-term cuts to federal funding, the impacts of climate change on the mountainous landscape and the uneven quality of guest services run by Yosemite concessionaire Aramark. Also, the Trump administration has begun cutting the federal workforce and reining in many programs, both of which are expected to impact parks.
The 750,000-acre park, known for its waterfalls, granite domes and snowy peaks, has about 1,200 employees. More than 4 million people visit some years.
SF Chronicle - Jan 29
Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon has announced that she is stepping down at the end of next month, leaving a hole in the management at one of the nation’s top parks.
Muldoon’s retirement follows a four-decade career at the National Park Service, which includes the past five years at Yosemite and, before that, 10 years as the head of Point Reyes National Seashore.
Muldoon is known within the federal agency as a manager who builds relationships with communities around parks and as a leader who inspires those who work for her.
The Bay Area native, who has long kept a houseboat in Sausalito and plans to retire there, was not available to discuss her departure with the Chronicle, but she told park employees in a Jan. 13 email that it had been an honor to work for the National Park Service.
“I am incredibly fortunate on so many fronts: to have lucked upon a career that enabled me to serve in some of the most incredible places in the country, to have found an organization with a compelling and inspirational mission that has sustained me through the highs and lows of federal service, and most importantly, to have worked with people like you who are so dedicated to public service and the NPS mission,” Muldoon wrote.
Muldoon’s work at Yosemite was partially shaped by the coronavirus pandemic. The park, shortly after she arrived, grappled with severe staffing shortages while Californians took to the outdoors in record numbers, prompting Yosemite to begin limiting entry into the park through a day-use reservation system.
Muldoon was supportive of ensuring a balance between visitation and park preservation, and the reservation system she piloted is expected to become permanent this year as crowds have continued to flock to the park.
She was the second woman to hold the top post at Yosemite. Her replacement has not been named.
The new superintendent will continue to face the challenge of crowding at the park as well as long-term cuts to federal funding, the impacts of climate change on the mountainous landscape and the uneven quality of guest services run by Yosemite concessionaire Aramark. Also, the Trump administration has begun cutting the federal workforce and reining in many programs, both of which are expected to impact parks.
The 750,000-acre park, known for its waterfalls, granite domes and snowy peaks, has about 1,200 employees. More than 4 million people visit some years.

Urgent – Support WAPPOA’s Effort to Retain WTPAC
At the January 21, 2025 County Board of Supervisor’s 9:00 meeting, the Board’s agenda includes consideration of an action to eliminate planning advisory committees including Wawona Town Planning Advisory Committee (WTPAC). In Wawona, the federal government (NPS) has jurisdictional authority over local public safety, water, sewer, development and other services. WTPAC was established to give the community a voice in Mariposa county-federal (NPS) governance. You can submit comments on the impacts of WTPAC elimination to the Board by going to the County’s Agendas and Minutes and clicking on the meeting.
Here is how to log on to the County website and to email your comments
Go to the Mariposa County Website (www.mariposacounty.org), then click on Government-top left
H. Regular Agenda, 8. Discussion and Direction on Oversight, Organization, Cost, Continuance, and Purpose of County Committees, Commissions, Boards, Councils, Community Working Groups, and Task Forces
(Supervisor Smallcombe)
Here are some suggested comments that you might like to make
At the January 21, 2025 County Board of Supervisor’s 9:00 meeting, the Board’s agenda includes consideration of an action to eliminate planning advisory committees including Wawona Town Planning Advisory Committee (WTPAC). In Wawona, the federal government (NPS) has jurisdictional authority over local public safety, water, sewer, development and other services. WTPAC was established to give the community a voice in Mariposa county-federal (NPS) governance. You can submit comments on the impacts of WTPAC elimination to the Board by going to the County’s Agendas and Minutes and clicking on the meeting.
Here is how to log on to the County website and to email your comments
Go to the Mariposa County Website (www.mariposacounty.org), then click on Government-top left
- click on Agendas and Minutes
- scroll down to find and click on the January 21st meeting
- click on "Meeting Files" and the Agenda will load on screen
- then click on "submit comments" icon to left. It will ask your name and the title and agenda item--Fill in the above text in bold.
- type in your comments and press submit.
H. Regular Agenda, 8. Discussion and Direction on Oversight, Organization, Cost, Continuance, and Purpose of County Committees, Commissions, Boards, Councils, Community Working Groups, and Task Forces
(Supervisor Smallcombe)
Here are some suggested comments that you might like to make
As a property owner in Wawona, I am strongly opposed to the elimination of the Wawona Town Planning Advisory Committee (WTPAC) on the Boards January 21st Agenda. It would be a horrible disservice to the hundreds of property owners in Wawona.
- Wawona is different from other unincorporated areas of the County because the federal government has jurisdictional authority over local public safety, water, sewer, development and other services.
- WTPAC plays a vital advisory and consultation role--enacted in the zoning and governance MOU-- advising the Board of Supervisors on local services and development.
- This is extremely critical in the current environment where NPS is taking actions and positions that may fail to protect Wawona residents, guests and property owners. Outcomes will directly impact property values and the County’s tax base in Wawona.
- We acknowledge that WTPAC may need new members to ensure a regular quorum; and, the community is committed to recruiting new Members.

Update on Our Beloved School Teacher, Stacy
As you may have heard, Stacy has been battling stage 4 colon cancer since last summer. She has been through a lot with surgery and chemo. She has now entered Hospice in Fresno and her sister and children have been there. Her dear friend, Connie Wylie, has reported that she is clear eyed and strong throughout this process. She is even allowed to have her dear companion, Lucia (her dog), visit her and that alone brings her great happiness and peace.
If you would like to send a card, here is the address:
Stacy Boydstun
Hinds Hospice
1416 West Twain Ave
Fresno CA 93711
Stacy has been a great Montessori teacher and has provided fantastic learning projects, fun experiences, and amazing trips for all her students. She has truly been a ray of light for our community. Please keep her, her family and students in your prayers.
As you may have heard, Stacy has been battling stage 4 colon cancer since last summer. She has been through a lot with surgery and chemo. She has now entered Hospice in Fresno and her sister and children have been there. Her dear friend, Connie Wylie, has reported that she is clear eyed and strong throughout this process. She is even allowed to have her dear companion, Lucia (her dog), visit her and that alone brings her great happiness and peace.
If you would like to send a card, here is the address:
Stacy Boydstun
Hinds Hospice
1416 West Twain Ave
Fresno CA 93711
Stacy has been a great Montessori teacher and has provided fantastic learning projects, fun experiences, and amazing trips for all her students. She has truly been a ray of light for our community. Please keep her, her family and students in your prayers.

YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, January 14, 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 December 10
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, January 14, 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 December 10
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
- APPROVAL OF THE 2023-2024 AUDIT REPORT FINDINGS
- APPROVAL OF THE 2023-24 School Accountability Report Card (SARC)
- APPROVAL OF P-1 ATTENDANCE REPORT
INFORMATION ITEMS
- STAFF REPORTS
- BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS UPDATE
- FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- ADJOURNMENT

Diane Mello Obituary
Diane Mello died on November 12, 2024 after a short illness at her home in San Ramon. Diane had a long history with Wawona. She first visited Wawona as a young child with her family when they came to stay with her aunt and uncle at their cabin on Koon Hollar. She had many fond memories of her many visits with Aunt Emily and Uncle George. As an adult she worked at the Wawona Hotel, the Wawona library, and the Wawona school. She lived for many years in Oakhurst and would frequently go to Wawona to hike the Meadow Loop and the bridge to bridge loop, and visit with family and friends. Among her close Wawona friends were Wawona Washburn, Burrell Maier, Heidi Haley, and her cousins Gary Bocarde and Susan Havens.
Diane Mello died on November 12, 2024 after a short illness at her home in San Ramon. Diane had a long history with Wawona. She first visited Wawona as a young child with her family when they came to stay with her aunt and uncle at their cabin on Koon Hollar. She had many fond memories of her many visits with Aunt Emily and Uncle George. As an adult she worked at the Wawona Hotel, the Wawona library, and the Wawona school. She lived for many years in Oakhurst and would frequently go to Wawona to hike the Meadow Loop and the bridge to bridge loop, and visit with family and friends. Among her close Wawona friends were Wawona Washburn, Burrell Maier, Heidi Haley, and her cousins Gary Bocarde and Susan Havens.