National Public Lands Day

Yosemite News Release
September 26, 2007
For Immediate Release

Yosemite National Park to Waive Entrance Fee in Celebration
of National Public Lands Day All National Park Service sites,
including Yosemite National Park, will offer free visitor
admission on September 29, 2007 for National Public Lands Day.

In addition to waiving entrance fees for all park visitors on
September 29, 2007, Yosemite National Park is hosting its annual
cleanup, the Yosemite Facelift, in conjunction with National
Public Lands Day this year. The Yosemite Facelift, which is
organized by the Yosemite Climbing Association and the National
Park Service, will take place from September 26, 2007 through
September 30, 2007. Cleanup volunteers to the park during the
event. Those volunteering on National Public Lands Day will also
receive a free pass valid for future use at any National Park
Service site. Also, volunteers working with the Yosemite Fund,
Yosemite's largest fundraising partner, will be on-hand at park
entrance stations to accept donations. The Yosemite Fund is a
private, non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for
park projects. "America's public lands showcase the country's
spectacular beauty and fascinating history," said National Park
Service Director Mary A. Bomar. "I encourage everyone to take
advantage of this fee free day to explore a national park or lend
a hand to help the land."

Nine federal agencies, 125 state and local partners, dozens of
non-profit organizations, tens of thousands of individuals,
and national sponsor Toyota Motor Sales, USA are expected to
participate in more than a thousand volunteer projects across the
country. Please visit http://www.publiclandsday.org for more
information.

One third of the land in the United States has been set aside
as open space. 600 million acres of parks, refuges, forests,
wetlands, cultural sites, and other shared areas provide a
variety of public resources. National Public Lands Day is the
only time that entrance fees are waived systematically on public
lands throughout the country. Normally, 147 of the country's 391
National Park Service sites charge entrance fees ranging from
$3 to $25. The other 244 areas do not have entrance fees. U.S.
Veterans are admitted to national parks for free each year on
Veteran's Day.

The other federal agencies not charging for admittance that day
include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land
Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, and the U.S. Forest Service.

(-NPS-)