Yosemite National Park Wants Your Input

Yosemite National Park is seeking public input on draft Visitor Access Management Plan (VAMP) before September 30th.

You can learn about this a few ways:

Explore the National Park's Resources - the National Park has put together a fantastic site that allows visitors and stakeholders to better understand the need for VAMP.

Watch a Virtual Meeting - Thanks to the Yosemite Gateway Partners, this recording will give you an overview of the planning process and walk you through the primary components of the draft plan and environmental assessment.

Light Reading - The National Park has put together a comprehensive document that outlines every aspect of the proposed plan, including the purpose, methodology, etc!

Cliff Notes - We have also pieced out the summary for you to enjoy, and we have also included our comment letter below, but we always recommend that you take the time to understand how this effects you as stakeholder and your community!

No matter how you choose to learn about the proposed options, we highly recommend that you do because it affects your ability to access your National Park!

Subject: Comments on Yosemite Visitor Access Management Plan (VAMP)

On behalf of Echo Adventure Cooperative and Yosemite Basecamp, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to comment on the Visitor Access Management Plan (VAMP) and for the detailed information provided regarding visitor use and its impact on Yosemite’s invaluable natural, cultural, and historical resources.

Our organizations are deeply rooted in this region. Some of our guides have been with us since 2009, and many of our employees grew up in communities like Groveland and Wawona. Even those who joined us more recently have witnessed firsthand the profound effects of unregulated visitation on the park’s environment and infrastructure. As a result, our entire team fully supports the need for restrictions on park visitation to ensure the long-term preservation of Yosemite’s resources. However, we also believe it is essential that any chosen plan be equitable and sustainable, allowing all stakeholders to adapt fairly. With that in mind, we offer the following considerations for the final plan:

Equity in Visitor AccessWe encourage specific provisions to ensure marginalized groups, such as low-income visitors, Tribal members, and individuals without access to technology, can continue to enjoy Yosemite. Suggested initiatives include:

Expanding the 4th-grade access program to include both reservations and entry fees.
Simplifying booking processes and offer tools specifically for Access or Senior Interagency Pass holders.
Offering free shuttle services to reach disadvantaged and marginalized groups by creating a hub for organizations that foster equitable access to outdoor activities like Latino Outdoors, Scouting America, Outdoor Afro, Indigenous Women Hike and tribe specific organizations.

· We also recommend that local businesses, Tribal nations, and other stakeholders be involved in periodic reviews of the visitor management systems. Regular input from those directly impacted will ensure that concerns are addressed, and the system remains effective and equitable.

Impact on Wildlife and Habitats:We are deeply concerned about the impacts of increased visitation on wildlife and their habitats. Trampling of vegetation, social trailing, and interactions with wildlife are all heightened when visitation exceeds manageable levels.

We hope to see the following:

Stricter regulations on wildlife interactions be implemented for CUAs and other park partners
Improved visitor education programs in the places where infractions are likely to happen such as picnic areas and outdoor dining. We are obsessed with the work being done by the Bear Team and would like to see this dedication to all park inhabitants.
The recent reduction in shuttle services seems antithetical to the park’s goals. Expanding shuttle or transit systems would reduce vehicle use, minimize road congestion, and decrease the risk of vehicle-wildlife collisions.
We also believe that having additional training or a mandatory pledge for CUA’s would empower guides to protect the parks natural resource. Just having guides in an area, talking about natural or historical resources is often all that is required to stem unwanted behaviors in populated areas.

Expansion of “Other Reservation Holders”

We understand the frustrations felt by businesses very near each of the park entrances, which have been overly burdened by changes in access. Their proximity to the park is their primary competitive advantage, and they understandably feel overlooked by these proposed restrictions.

For businesses like ours, located further from the park boundary, VAMP presents an opportunity to pivot. We can redirect visitors to local resources and creatively enhance the customer experience. However, for lodges heavily invested in the park’s entrances, pivoting is simply not an option. Expanding access through shuttle systems or providing a limited number of reservation slots for lodges within a certain distance of park entrances could quiet their concerns and improve public support for VAMP.

Expanding Wilderness Permit Access

To further improve public approval, we recommend making wilderness permits available on a walk-up basis for locals or those employed by local organizations as noted on a paystub. Staffing in and around Yosemite is already a significant challenge, and many of our team members have expressed frustration at being unable to access the backcountry on their days off. Seasonal workers, especially, have irregular schedules and often cannot plan ahead for weekend adventures. Flexibility in permit access could improve employee retention and morale, benefiting both the park and local businesses.

Option A (No Action):We are particularly concerned by recommendations from tourism bureaus and lodging establishments advocating for unrestricted access under the guise of further research. The visitor experiences of 2019 and 2023 were notably poor, and we find it hard to believe that park resources fared any better under such pressure. Moreover, postponing a permanent management strategy seems to ignore valuable lessons learned from the pilot reservation systems implemented over the past few years and puts an unwarranted burden on the Park’s resources.

Option B (Parkwide Reservations – Peak Hours, Daily):This option worked well for our guests and visitors this year. Having clear, consistent rules allowed us to guide visitors on how to navigate the system effectively. We found that the system functioned smoothly regardless of holidays or weather conditions, and park staff remained friendly and helpful.

Our Member Guides do agree, however, that 7 day a week reservations should have began in June. They saw a significant uptick in traffic stalls, roadside parking, wildlife interactions and other unsafe practices by mid to late June.

That being said, our preference for this option may also be influenced by a desire for stability. Consistency in the rules across multiple years would help us, the National Park and the Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), better educate future guests and plan our operations.

Option C (Parkwide Timed Entry Reservations):We have serious concerns about the implementation of this option. Timed entry adds unnecessary complexity, particularly for visitors unfamiliar with mountain driving. Specifically, we are concerned for the safety of visitors and the increased likelihood of vehicle-wildlife collisions in our gateway communities as visitors rush to make their timed entry.

From past experience, we believe this option will only increase visitor stress, with entry staff and gateway businesses bearing the brunt of that frustration. This could lead to a diminished visitor experience and place undue strain on staff.

Option D (Yosemite Valley-Specific Timed Entry Reservations):At first glance, this option seems the most equitable. However, we have several concerns. First, the significant infrastructure changes required to manage Yosemite Valley effectively under this system could detract from the natural beauty and visitor experience as well as disturb the natural resources with the park. Additionally, We are concerned about the potential impact on Tuolumne Meadows, a fragile ecosystem that may not tolerate an influx of visitors redirected from the Valley.

As with Option C, we are also concerned that timed entry will would increase visitor driving speeds and unsafe driving practices within the park. While we are not wholly opposed to this option, we believe there must also be another way for visitors to access the valley and would like to see increased shuttling options.

Finally, we want to personally thank you for the opportunity to comment. We appreciate your efforts to balance preservation with public access and are hopeful that these considerations will help refine the final decision.

Respecfully,

D. Bryant Burnette

Elisabeth Barton

Nate Smith

Echo Adventure Cooperative

Call - 209.732.5161

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Message - adventures@echocoop.com

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Guests | Members | Community | Environment

Elisabeth Barton

D. Bryant Burnette