Date: July 2, 2009
Yosemite National Park is reopening public scoping for planning and environmental impact analysis for a new Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (NMRP/EIS). Public scoping comments will be accepted through August 29, 2009. Scoping comments submitted when the National Park Service (NPS) first initiated public scoping on March 28, 2007 are still valid and do not need to be resubmitted.
The NPS completed the Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan (MRP) in August 2000. Soon after, two lawsuits were filed and several years of litigation ensued. A supplemental EIS was prepared in 2005. Subsequent court proceedings culminated in a 2006 U.S. District Court decision that invalidated the park’s MRP and ordered the NPS to prepare a new comprehensive management plan. The NPS appealed the U.S. District Court’s decision that the 2005 MRP was invalid. However, on March 27, 2008 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion affirming the judgment of the District Court and expanding the scope of what the NPS had previously understood must be included in a legally valid Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan.
Consequently, the NPS is reopening public scoping for the MRP to provide additional opportunity for public involvement in developing a new plan. The purpose of reopening scoping is to receive any new public comments about issues and concerns that should be addressed in the new MRP.
A series of public scoping meetings will be held in and around Yosemite National Park throughout July and August. Each of these meetings will occur from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Yosemite National Park staff will be at each meeting to answer questions and discuss the new MRP. Please see table below for meeting dates and locations.
- Monday July 13, Fresno, REI 7810 N. Blackstone Ave. Fresno, CA 93720
- Thursday July 16, Oakhurst, Community Center 39800 Road 425 B, Oakhurst, CA 93644
- Wednesday July 22, Mariposa, Government Center 5100 Bullion St., Mariposa, CA 95338 (2nd Floor)
- Tuesday July 28, Mono Basin Visitor Center, Highway 395, Lee Vining, CA 93541
- Wednesday July 29, Yosemite Valley East Auditorium – Open House Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
- Thursday July 30, Groveland Community Hall Groveland, CA 95321
- Monday August 3, Pasadena Senior Center, 85 East Holy Street, Pasadena, CA 91103
- Thursday August 13, Foster City Recreation Wind Room – 2nd flr above the library Foster City Community Center 100 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404
- Tuesday August 18, Sacramento, Southside Clubhouse 2051 6th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Written comments should be addressed to the Superintendent, Attn: Merced River Plan, Yosemite National Park, P.O. Box 577, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389, or faxed to (209) 379-1294.
