Park Service To Yank Most Development From Famed Mariposa Sequoia Grove In Yosemite

[hatrack]

Yosemite National Park is proposing to remove most of the development from Mariposa Grove as part of a $24 million restoration of the famed grove of giant sequoias. Most public parking, the gift shop and the tram operations would be eliminated to improve conditions for the grove’s 500 giant sequoias.

The paved surfaces and infrastructure are compacting soil, encroaching on sequoia roots and interfering with natural drainage patterns. “We know the pavement over the roots is not healthy,” said Yosemite ranger Kari Cobb. Except for some handicapped parking near the lower grove, parking would be shifted to the park’s south entrance, about two miles away, where new lots would be built.

Shuttle buses would take visitors from the entrance to the lower grove, which has the largest and oldest sequoias and is the most heavily used. The commercial tram operation would no longer run and access to the upper grove would be by foot only. Portions of road would be converted to trails and some trail segments would be removed to restore habitat.

All told, the project would remove nearly 4 acres of paved surfaces and infrastructure from the grove, which would remain open during the project.

EDIT

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-yosemite-mariposa-grove-20131104,0,355292.story

[Bennyboy]

1. I like it

At least the idea of it. But the same amount of people are gonna use the grove? And still compact trails? And somewhere else there will be a parking lot?