WawonaNews.com - May 2015
New Real Estate Listing in Wawona
8050 Loop Rd, Wawona, CA 95389, 2 beds, 2 baths, 937 sqft - $499,000 / For more info click here
Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park to Temporarily Close at 8:00 P.M. This Evening
May 13 - Rain and Snow predicted this evening through tomorrow
The Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park will temporarily close at 8:00 P.M. tonight, May 13, 2015. This is due to a significant storm predicted for the area that will potentially produce several inches of new snow at higher elevations.
Both roads will remain temporarily closed until conditions permit safe travel. There is no estimated time for the roads to reopen.
For updated, 24-hour road conditions, please call 209-372-0200.
-NPS-
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 6:30 pm
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, California
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3. CONSENT AGENDA
NOTE: The Board will be asked to approve all of the following items by a single vote, unless any member of the Board or of the public asks that an item be removed from the consent agenda and considered and discussed separately.
3.1. Approval of agenda
3.2. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting, April 29, 2015
4. Financial reports
4.1. Monthly approval of warrants (Action needed)
4.1.1. Reimburse Ed for the purchase of the Fire Alarm batteries ($42.21) and lawn mower blades ($37.90).
4.1.2. Approve expenditure for fingerprinting Esme to meet CDE requirement.
4.1.3. Discuss and approve expenditure for Yearbook publication.
4.1.4. Approve expenditure fund for 2015 Golf Tournament.
4.1.5. Approve Esme's attendance/expenditure at the 2015 CCSA Conference.
4.2. Financial Report
5. HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
The public may address the Board on any matter pertaining to the school that is not on the agenda. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, each person is limited to five (5) minutes. There will be no Board discussion and no action will be taken unless listed on a subsequent agenda.
ACTION ITEMS
6. Approve Secretary and Instructional Aide PD's.
7. Approve requisition of copier from Mountain Home School.
8. Approve 2015-16 school calendar and 2015-16 Bell Schedule and minutes.
9. Discuss and Approve a teacher professional development budget.
10. Public Session on 2015-2016 Budget.
INFORMATION ITEMS
11. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
11.1.Placement of “Peace Pole”.
12. STAFF REPORTS
12.1.L CAP Update
13. NEXT MEETING DATE
14. CLOSED SESSION Personnel/Negotiations/Litigation
NOTE: The Board will consider and may act upon any of the following items in closed session. Any action taken will be reported publicly at the end of the closed session as required by law.
14.1.Employee Negotiations (Gov. Code 54957.6)
14.2.Personnel (Gov. Code 54957)
15. RECOVENE IN OPEN SESSION: ANNOUNCE CLOSED SESSION ACTIONS
16. ADJOURNMENT
Newest Real Estate Listing in Wawona
Fresno To Yosemite Bus Service Starts May 23
Written by Sierra News Online Staff
MADERA COUNTY - The new bus service from Fresno to Yosemite will start on Saturday, May 23, with runs starting as early as 4 a.m. from the Fresno Airport, and 6 a.m. from the Best Western in Oakhurst to Fresno.
There will be six buses a day, seven days a week, except weekends and holidays when the early and late commuter runs will not operate.
To learn more about the new YARTS bus service, read the article.
For complete schedules, routes and fares, visit the YARTS website.
MADERA COUNTY - The new bus service from Fresno to Yosemite will start on Saturday, May 23, with runs starting as early as 4 a.m. from the Fresno Airport, and 6 a.m. from the Best Western in Oakhurst to Fresno.
There will be six buses a day, seven days a week, except weekends and holidays when the early and late commuter runs will not operate.
To learn more about the new YARTS bus service, read the article.
For complete schedules, routes and fares, visit the YARTS website.
Cat of the Month
Mountain lion on Wawona trail, April 24
Wawona Pine Needle Pile Pick Up: June 8-12
Your pile must be ready by Monday, June 8. If it is not ready by the time the equipment is in your area, they will not go back and pick up late piles. Remember, one pile per property along the road in front of your property, in an unobstructed area where the equipment can easily access your needle pile. Tree limbs and branches must be cut to a maximum of 3 feet in length to be picked up. Only vegetation material will be picked up. No construction materials or large branches, please.
Yosemite National Park, DNC & UC Merced properties are not included in pick-up.
If your address is on an out-of-the-way street, you can call or e-mail Greg Ollivier , Solid Waste Manager 209-966-5165; [email protected] That way your pile won’t be missed.
Yosemite National Park, DNC & UC Merced properties are not included in pick-up.
If your address is on an out-of-the-way street, you can call or e-mail Greg Ollivier , Solid Waste Manager 209-966-5165; [email protected] That way your pile won’t be missed.
Tioga Road Is Open For The Season
(But could be temporarily closed due do upcoming storm)
May 6, 2015 - YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KFSN) --
A major corridor through Yosemite is now open because there's not enough snow to keep it closed. Tioga Road reopened to traffic Monday morning -- two days later than last year but still weeks earlier than the average.
The signs are up, and traffic is now flowing along Tioga Road for the first time since last November.
"This is the pass that is the highest pass over the Sierra Nevada. It's Highway 120 that goes across to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada," said Yosemite spokesperson Scott Gediman.
It's also known as the gateway to Yosemite's backcountry, offering great hikes and stunning sights.
"Up in Tuolumne Meadows is beautiful, it's the beautiful high country, so you've got Olmsted Point which is a great view, you can see the back side of Half Dome, you've got a great viewpoint up there. You go across Tenaya Lake," said Gediman.
Some motorcycle riders from Seattle were among the first to take the route Monday morning.
"As we came in the gate there at Tioga Pass, we finally pulled over and put on our rain gear because it started snowing on us, which was kind of fun," said Stuart Blocher.
But the light snowpack is why crews were able to clear the road so early. In wet years it's stayed closed through late June. Park rangers say the good news is the waterfalls are still flowing and the mild conditions contributed to a 20-percent increase in visitors in March.
"We've definitely been in a drought cycle, so we're trying to take the glass half-full approach in terms of getting these places open," said Gediman.
Now that the gate is open for Tioga Road, the next step will be opening more of the services along this route. It will be a gradual process to get campgrounds, shops and other facilities ready over the next several weeks, and drivers will also face some delays due to road work through the fall. But these friends say it's worth the wait.
"The construction is just about finished, and it's going to be just like this this, beautiful ride," said Jack Chamberlain.
A major corridor through Yosemite is now open because there's not enough snow to keep it closed. Tioga Road reopened to traffic Monday morning -- two days later than last year but still weeks earlier than the average.
The signs are up, and traffic is now flowing along Tioga Road for the first time since last November.
"This is the pass that is the highest pass over the Sierra Nevada. It's Highway 120 that goes across to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada," said Yosemite spokesperson Scott Gediman.
It's also known as the gateway to Yosemite's backcountry, offering great hikes and stunning sights.
"Up in Tuolumne Meadows is beautiful, it's the beautiful high country, so you've got Olmsted Point which is a great view, you can see the back side of Half Dome, you've got a great viewpoint up there. You go across Tenaya Lake," said Gediman.
Some motorcycle riders from Seattle were among the first to take the route Monday morning.
"As we came in the gate there at Tioga Pass, we finally pulled over and put on our rain gear because it started snowing on us, which was kind of fun," said Stuart Blocher.
But the light snowpack is why crews were able to clear the road so early. In wet years it's stayed closed through late June. Park rangers say the good news is the waterfalls are still flowing and the mild conditions contributed to a 20-percent increase in visitors in March.
"We've definitely been in a drought cycle, so we're trying to take the glass half-full approach in terms of getting these places open," said Gediman.
Now that the gate is open for Tioga Road, the next step will be opening more of the services along this route. It will be a gradual process to get campgrounds, shops and other facilities ready over the next several weeks, and drivers will also face some delays due to road work through the fall. But these friends say it's worth the wait.
"The construction is just about finished, and it's going to be just like this this, beautiful ride," said Jack Chamberlain.
Half Dome Cables in Yosemite National Park in Place on Saturday, May 2
Early Season Permits Available at Recreation.gov
April 28 - The cables to the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park will be in place this Saturday, May 2 and available for hikers. This opening date is three weeks earlier than previously scheduled due to the low snowpack. Day hikers wishing to ascend the cables between May 2 and May 22 must apply for a two-day-in-advance permit though an online lottery at: www.recreation.gov. The lottery will be open for applications from 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PDT) with lottery results available at 6:00 a.m. the following day. Day use permits for Half Dome are not available in the park. The cables will be inaccessible on Friday, May 1, due to maintenance.
Wilderness permits for overnight users who wish to ascend Half Dome are required as a part of any overnight wilderness trip. For more information regarding backpacking permits in Yosemite, please visithttp://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm.
The regularly scheduled Half Dome season will commence Saturday, May 23. Permits for the regular season were available through a lottery during the month of March. Approximately 50 permits per day will be available on a daily basis through a two day in advance lottery beginning Thursday, May 21. Visitors wishing to obtain a permit can make reservations at www.recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777 FREE.
For more information regarding the lottery and the Half Dome cables, please visitwww.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm.
The trail to Half Dome from Yosemite Valley is an extremely strenuous hike covering over 17 miles. Hikers gain 4,800 feet of elevation along the trail that passes highlights such as Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, before reaching the cables on Half Dome’s steep granite shoulder. Metal cables and wooden planks are placed along the steep shoulder of the dome to assist hikers to the summit.
Visitors are advised to take appropriate precautions when planning a hike of this length and difficulty, and to be prepared for changing weather and trail conditions. Thunder and lightning are common occurrences in the High Sierra during the summer and fall seasons. Hikers should not attempt to summit Half Dome when rain or thunderstorms are forecasted and are advised to use extreme caution when the rocks are wet.
April 28 - The cables to the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park will be in place this Saturday, May 2 and available for hikers. This opening date is three weeks earlier than previously scheduled due to the low snowpack. Day hikers wishing to ascend the cables between May 2 and May 22 must apply for a two-day-in-advance permit though an online lottery at: www.recreation.gov. The lottery will be open for applications from 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PDT) with lottery results available at 6:00 a.m. the following day. Day use permits for Half Dome are not available in the park. The cables will be inaccessible on Friday, May 1, due to maintenance.
Wilderness permits for overnight users who wish to ascend Half Dome are required as a part of any overnight wilderness trip. For more information regarding backpacking permits in Yosemite, please visithttp://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm.
The regularly scheduled Half Dome season will commence Saturday, May 23. Permits for the regular season were available through a lottery during the month of March. Approximately 50 permits per day will be available on a daily basis through a two day in advance lottery beginning Thursday, May 21. Visitors wishing to obtain a permit can make reservations at www.recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777 FREE.
For more information regarding the lottery and the Half Dome cables, please visitwww.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm.
The trail to Half Dome from Yosemite Valley is an extremely strenuous hike covering over 17 miles. Hikers gain 4,800 feet of elevation along the trail that passes highlights such as Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, before reaching the cables on Half Dome’s steep granite shoulder. Metal cables and wooden planks are placed along the steep shoulder of the dome to assist hikers to the summit.
Visitors are advised to take appropriate precautions when planning a hike of this length and difficulty, and to be prepared for changing weather and trail conditions. Thunder and lightning are common occurrences in the High Sierra during the summer and fall seasons. Hikers should not attempt to summit Half Dome when rain or thunderstorms are forecasted and are advised to use extreme caution when the rocks are wet.
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL MEETING AGENDA
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 6:30 PM
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, California
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3. CONSENT AGENDA
NOTE: The Board will be asked to approve all of the following items by a single vote, unless any member of the Board or of the public asks that an item be removed from the consent agenda and considered and discussed separately.
3.1. Approval of agenda
3.2. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting, April 15, 2015
4. Financial reports
4.1. Monthly approval of warrants (Action needed)
4.1.1. Reimburse Dale for purchase of bathroom supplies
4.1.2. Reimburse Chad for purchase of damaged ceiling tiles
4.1.3. Reimburse Ed for purchase of garbage disposal to replace leaking one
4.2. Financial Report
4.2.1. CRMA Invoice
5. HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
The public may address the Board on any matter pertaining to the school that is not on the agenda. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, each person is limited to five (5) minutes. There will be no Board discussion and no action will be taken unless listed on a subsequent agenda.
ACTION ITEMS
6. Appoint a Budget Committee
6.1. Public meetings for budget and LCAP
6.2. 2015-2016 Budget recommendations
6.2.1. Field Trips
6.2.2. School Nurse contract
6.2.3. Loretta-artist in residence position
6.2.4. Teacher/Administrator position designation and how it relates to the Federal Funding money.
6.2.5. Teacher advancement
6.2.5.1. Training/Conference days
6.2.6. Aide vs secretary position
7. Discuss and approve next year’s School Calendar, Bell Schedule and Classroom Minutes
INFORMATION ITEMS
8. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
8.1. Playground
9. STAFF REPORTS
10. NEXT MEETING DATE
11. CLOSED SESSION Personnel/Negotiations/Litigation
NOTE: The Board will consider and may act upon any of the following items in closed session. Any action taken will be reported publicly at the end of the closed session as required by law.
11.1.Employee Negotiations (Gov. Code 54957.6)
11.2.Personnel (Gov. Code 54957)
12. RECOVENE IN OPEN SESSION: ANNOUNCE CLOSED SESSION ACTIONS
13. ADJOURNMENT
Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 6:30 PM
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, California
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3. CONSENT AGENDA
NOTE: The Board will be asked to approve all of the following items by a single vote, unless any member of the Board or of the public asks that an item be removed from the consent agenda and considered and discussed separately.
3.1. Approval of agenda
3.2. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting, April 15, 2015
4. Financial reports
4.1. Monthly approval of warrants (Action needed)
4.1.1. Reimburse Dale for purchase of bathroom supplies
4.1.2. Reimburse Chad for purchase of damaged ceiling tiles
4.1.3. Reimburse Ed for purchase of garbage disposal to replace leaking one
4.2. Financial Report
4.2.1. CRMA Invoice
5. HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
The public may address the Board on any matter pertaining to the school that is not on the agenda. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, each person is limited to five (5) minutes. There will be no Board discussion and no action will be taken unless listed on a subsequent agenda.
ACTION ITEMS
6. Appoint a Budget Committee
6.1. Public meetings for budget and LCAP
6.2. 2015-2016 Budget recommendations
6.2.1. Field Trips
6.2.2. School Nurse contract
6.2.3. Loretta-artist in residence position
6.2.4. Teacher/Administrator position designation and how it relates to the Federal Funding money.
6.2.5. Teacher advancement
6.2.5.1. Training/Conference days
6.2.6. Aide vs secretary position
7. Discuss and approve next year’s School Calendar, Bell Schedule and Classroom Minutes
INFORMATION ITEMS
8. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
8.1. Playground
9. STAFF REPORTS
10. NEXT MEETING DATE
11. CLOSED SESSION Personnel/Negotiations/Litigation
NOTE: The Board will consider and may act upon any of the following items in closed session. Any action taken will be reported publicly at the end of the closed session as required by law.
11.1.Employee Negotiations (Gov. Code 54957.6)
11.2.Personnel (Gov. Code 54957)
12. RECOVENE IN OPEN SESSION: ANNOUNCE CLOSED SESSION ACTIONS
13. ADJOURNMENT
Bark Beetle Infestation and Treatment
by Trish Peterson (WAPOA secretary)
I spoke to Brian Mattos, the professional forester with the NPS about the bark beetle infestation in Wawona after the WAPOA meeting in April. The tree mortality in Wawona is not as severe as most of the Sierra. The largest patches are along Dead Horse Creek, at the end of Wawona Way, and behind the Wawona Hotel. There is an insecticide that has been used and demonstrated to protect the trees from the beetle infestation, but it’s a spray method that wouldn’t be cost effective for most homeowners. He sent me a report from the California Forest Pest Council, dated April 14, 2015 that also states that there are insecticides that will prevent infestation.
So then I talked to Jason Neville, the owner at Central Sierra Pest Control in the Oakhurst area. His phone is 559-658-6262 and their website is www.CSPestControl.net He uses an insecticide called Treeage, which is injected near the base of the tree. The injection process is called Arborjet. You can find information on both of these on the internet. They have used it successfully for prevention of beetle infestation, and the treatment usually lasts 2-3 years. The cost varies, but it’s approximately $13/DBH which stands for “diameter at breast height”. So if you had a tree that was 20” in diameter at breast height, the cost would be approximately $260. That’s a lot, but if a tree dies and you have to take it out, that cost can be $800 and up.
I also talked to Eric Davenport at TreeDoctoRx in Fresno. The phone there is 559-251-7907 and their website is www.provhort.com/tree_DoctoRx. They use the same chemical –Treeage- and same injection process – Arborjet. They have successfully treated trees in the Bass Lake and Shaver Lake areas. . Their cost seemed a little higher and is also based on the DBH, but they would give a better price if you had multiple trees. They also would charge $95/hour driving time to Wawona from Fresno. So it might make sense to get together with neighbors and share that cost if they came up for a consultation. He also said that it would be advantageous to treat soon, before it gets very hot. The treatment isn’t as effective when the sap in the tree is warm and more liquid. I also asked him if the infestation might occur in other types of trees – the oaks, cedars, etc – and he said that each insect seems to be species specific, so this bark beetle we see now will be in the pines. It’s possible to get a different insect that attacks the other trees but the Treeage is effective against most.
Both companies are licensed for pest control and Eric is a certified arborist.
We must also take into account that the drought has had a big effect on the trees too. Some of the mortality is from lack of water and not necessarily the beetle. A healthy tree forces the beetle out by pushing it out with the sap. When the tree is too dry and the sap not so thick, then the beetle has a better chance of getting in.
Hope this information is helpful, and hopefully we will have more rain next year!
I spoke to Brian Mattos, the professional forester with the NPS about the bark beetle infestation in Wawona after the WAPOA meeting in April. The tree mortality in Wawona is not as severe as most of the Sierra. The largest patches are along Dead Horse Creek, at the end of Wawona Way, and behind the Wawona Hotel. There is an insecticide that has been used and demonstrated to protect the trees from the beetle infestation, but it’s a spray method that wouldn’t be cost effective for most homeowners. He sent me a report from the California Forest Pest Council, dated April 14, 2015 that also states that there are insecticides that will prevent infestation.
So then I talked to Jason Neville, the owner at Central Sierra Pest Control in the Oakhurst area. His phone is 559-658-6262 and their website is www.CSPestControl.net He uses an insecticide called Treeage, which is injected near the base of the tree. The injection process is called Arborjet. You can find information on both of these on the internet. They have used it successfully for prevention of beetle infestation, and the treatment usually lasts 2-3 years. The cost varies, but it’s approximately $13/DBH which stands for “diameter at breast height”. So if you had a tree that was 20” in diameter at breast height, the cost would be approximately $260. That’s a lot, but if a tree dies and you have to take it out, that cost can be $800 and up.
I also talked to Eric Davenport at TreeDoctoRx in Fresno. The phone there is 559-251-7907 and their website is www.provhort.com/tree_DoctoRx. They use the same chemical –Treeage- and same injection process – Arborjet. They have successfully treated trees in the Bass Lake and Shaver Lake areas. . Their cost seemed a little higher and is also based on the DBH, but they would give a better price if you had multiple trees. They also would charge $95/hour driving time to Wawona from Fresno. So it might make sense to get together with neighbors and share that cost if they came up for a consultation. He also said that it would be advantageous to treat soon, before it gets very hot. The treatment isn’t as effective when the sap in the tree is warm and more liquid. I also asked him if the infestation might occur in other types of trees – the oaks, cedars, etc – and he said that each insect seems to be species specific, so this bark beetle we see now will be in the pines. It’s possible to get a different insect that attacks the other trees but the Treeage is effective against most.
Both companies are licensed for pest control and Eric is a certified arborist.
We must also take into account that the drought has had a big effect on the trees too. Some of the mortality is from lack of water and not necessarily the beetle. A healthy tree forces the beetle out by pushing it out with the sap. When the tree is too dry and the sap not so thick, then the beetle has a better chance of getting in.
Hope this information is helpful, and hopefully we will have more rain next year!
National Park Service aims to diversify visitors
CBSNews - The National Park Service will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. Ahead of this milestone it has launched a campaign called "find your park," aimed at attracting a wider audience to experience parks, monuments, seashores and wilderness areas. CBS News correspondent David Begnaud reports from Los Angeles, California.
From the Sequoias in California to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington to the Everglades in Florida, the National Parks Service has been stewards of these magnificent landscapes and monuments for nearly 100 years.
It is a legacy started by President Theodore Roosevelt who first designated the first great American iconic landscapes as protected places
Today, there are 407 National Park Service properties. Jonathan Jarvis, the Director of the National Parks Service, wants to make sure the parks and monuments remain valued by all Americans:
Last year 290 million people visited national parks, which sounds like a lot of people.
"Our core visitation to the National Parks tends to be older, and more white than the demographic of the U.S.," Jarvis said. "For me that is a problem."
That is why the National Park Service is going all out to get more visitors like 10-year-old Tigran Nahabedian who has a badge for each of the 32 National Parks he's visited. But does Nahabedian think other people his age are interested in National Parks?
"I think so," Nahabedian said. "I am trying to inspire my friends to go to the National Parks."
President Obama is trying to do the same, starting this fall, every 4th grader like Tigran can visit a National Park for free along their family.
Tigrin's passion started at the Channel Islands National Park off the Southern California coast where every week students go on a 10-mile boat ride with rangers.
One group comes from the Buena High School environmental club in Ventura, California. They've volunteered to help park staff restore the island, which was once used for ranching.
A ranger explained to the group that the whole area was filled in to make way for the ranching operation. Plants that ranchers brought in to feed cattle eventually overran the native plants. Now, the students will help get eradicate the problem.
It is a hands-on conservation lesson young people like Lauren Zaragoza might otherwise not have. She had never been to one before and hopes to bring her family soon.
"My mom is really interested in coming," Zaragoza said.
The National Parks Service is discovering young people are the ones introducing others to the parks.
Eddie Alvarez, a student, said he goes every break he gets. Opportunities for Eddie Alvarez are as vast as the as the 84 million acres designated as a National Park Service property.
Ahead of next year's centennial celebration, the National Park Service has launched a campaign called "find your park" to point out the multitude of special American places.
The El Pueblo Historic Monument in downtown Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Native American, Africans and European farmers. With the help of celebrities, the Park Service is also promoting its urban parks as a way to bring more minorities to them.
"I am a deep believer that these belong to the American people, and that the experience of standing in Gettysburg Battlefield and thinking about what happened there and how it changed America, that the transition from civil war to civil rights today, that these are issues that we are still dealing with in this nation -- it is an experience that everyone should have," Jarvis said. "And it literally, sort of breaks my heart there are members of our society that are not having this experience."
To experience it, it must be seen, because as President Theodore Roosevelt said "There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm."
From the Sequoias in California to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington to the Everglades in Florida, the National Parks Service has been stewards of these magnificent landscapes and monuments for nearly 100 years.
It is a legacy started by President Theodore Roosevelt who first designated the first great American iconic landscapes as protected places
Today, there are 407 National Park Service properties. Jonathan Jarvis, the Director of the National Parks Service, wants to make sure the parks and monuments remain valued by all Americans:
Last year 290 million people visited national parks, which sounds like a lot of people.
"Our core visitation to the National Parks tends to be older, and more white than the demographic of the U.S.," Jarvis said. "For me that is a problem."
That is why the National Park Service is going all out to get more visitors like 10-year-old Tigran Nahabedian who has a badge for each of the 32 National Parks he's visited. But does Nahabedian think other people his age are interested in National Parks?
"I think so," Nahabedian said. "I am trying to inspire my friends to go to the National Parks."
President Obama is trying to do the same, starting this fall, every 4th grader like Tigran can visit a National Park for free along their family.
Tigrin's passion started at the Channel Islands National Park off the Southern California coast where every week students go on a 10-mile boat ride with rangers.
One group comes from the Buena High School environmental club in Ventura, California. They've volunteered to help park staff restore the island, which was once used for ranching.
A ranger explained to the group that the whole area was filled in to make way for the ranching operation. Plants that ranchers brought in to feed cattle eventually overran the native plants. Now, the students will help get eradicate the problem.
It is a hands-on conservation lesson young people like Lauren Zaragoza might otherwise not have. She had never been to one before and hopes to bring her family soon.
"My mom is really interested in coming," Zaragoza said.
The National Parks Service is discovering young people are the ones introducing others to the parks.
Eddie Alvarez, a student, said he goes every break he gets. Opportunities for Eddie Alvarez are as vast as the as the 84 million acres designated as a National Park Service property.
Ahead of next year's centennial celebration, the National Park Service has launched a campaign called "find your park" to point out the multitude of special American places.
The El Pueblo Historic Monument in downtown Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Native American, Africans and European farmers. With the help of celebrities, the Park Service is also promoting its urban parks as a way to bring more minorities to them.
"I am a deep believer that these belong to the American people, and that the experience of standing in Gettysburg Battlefield and thinking about what happened there and how it changed America, that the transition from civil war to civil rights today, that these are issues that we are still dealing with in this nation -- it is an experience that everyone should have," Jarvis said. "And it literally, sort of breaks my heart there are members of our society that are not having this experience."
To experience it, it must be seen, because as President Theodore Roosevelt said "There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm."
Bighorn Sheep Return to Yosemite
Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are back in Yosemite’s Cathedral Range after over 100 years of absence!
From March 26 - April 3, 2015, ten ewes and three rams were released into the cliff habitat of the Cathedral Range. All sheep are in great condition: nine of the ewes are pregnant and the one that is not pregnant is a yearling.
In Her Own Words
Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist, Yosemite National Park “It has been a century since Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep disappeared from the Cathedral Range, so it is remarkable to have them back in the heart of the park’s wilderness. Not only is the animal restored to its ancestral habitat, but we are restoring our personal connection with wilderness and what it means to be in a wild place. This restoration effort reminds us that humans are capable of reversing mistakes from the past. When you see the sheep up there, it will feel good.”
From March 26 - April 3, 2015, ten ewes and three rams were released into the cliff habitat of the Cathedral Range. All sheep are in great condition: nine of the ewes are pregnant and the one that is not pregnant is a yearling.
In Her Own Words
Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist, Yosemite National Park “It has been a century since Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep disappeared from the Cathedral Range, so it is remarkable to have them back in the heart of the park’s wilderness. Not only is the animal restored to its ancestral habitat, but we are restoring our personal connection with wilderness and what it means to be in a wild place. This restoration effort reminds us that humans are capable of reversing mistakes from the past. When you see the sheep up there, it will feel good.”
Part Of A Picturesque Yosemite Gallery Reopens
Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter
Yosemite, CA – Phase one of the Ansel Adams Gallery Rehabilitation project has been completed, meaning visitors can once again gaze at the master photographer’s work.
The rehab began in October of last year and finished on April 4th of this year. During that time, work crews did structural rehabilitation, safety improvements, enhanced site circulation, electrical wiring upgrades, and drainage improvements. A key part of the project included making the gallery compliant with the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The completion of the last phase of the project should come in early summer, according to park officials, who add it will include rehabbing the gallery’s residential housing, ADA accessibility to the photographic classroom, landscaping and pathway reconstruction.
Overall, the cost for the project is nearly $2.5 million, with funding coming from concession operations fees.
Yosemite, CA – Phase one of the Ansel Adams Gallery Rehabilitation project has been completed, meaning visitors can once again gaze at the master photographer’s work.
The rehab began in October of last year and finished on April 4th of this year. During that time, work crews did structural rehabilitation, safety improvements, enhanced site circulation, electrical wiring upgrades, and drainage improvements. A key part of the project included making the gallery compliant with the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The completion of the last phase of the project should come in early summer, according to park officials, who add it will include rehabbing the gallery’s residential housing, ADA accessibility to the photographic classroom, landscaping and pathway reconstruction.
Overall, the cost for the project is nearly $2.5 million, with funding coming from concession operations fees.
