Local news briefs
Yosemite proposes fee hikes
Yosemite National Park is proposing to increase entrance fees into the park. The single vehicle entrance fee would change from $20 to $30 for a seven day pass. The park’s annual pass would increase from $40 to $60. The current rate of $10 per individual or motorcycle would increase to $15 for an individual and $25 per motorcycle.
Interagency Passes, which are honored at all federally managed land units, are not affected by the proposed fee increase and will remain at $80 for the regular pass, $10 for the Senior Pass, and free for the Access and Military passes.
The current park entrance fees have been in place since 1997, when a seven day pass was increased from $5 to $20 per vehicle. According to the U.S. Bureau of labor and Statistics, $20 in 1997 is equivalent to $29.64 in 2014. This fee change will allow Yosemite to maintain consistent revenue while adjusting accordingly for inflation.
The additional revenue from the fee increase will be used to enhance visitor services, including repair and maintenance of park facilities, restoration and rehabilitation of visitor service buildings, additional park programs and transportation services, and increase resource protection.
Yosemite National Park is also evaluating current campground rates to determine if camping fees are adequate to sustain campground operations. The current campground rates have been in place since 2006 and range between $5 per night to $20 per night for family sites and $40 per night for group sites. The park is proposing to raise camping fees with fees ranging from $6 per night to $24 per night for family sites and $48 per night for group sites. The park will utilize comparable campground rates and public feedback to determine if an adjustment to campground fees is warranted.
A 30-day public engagement period on the proposed fee increase is open today, Monday, Oct. 20, through Thursday, Nov. 20. Feedback will be accepted via email at: yose_planning@nps.gov and via U.S. Mail at: Superintendent Attention Proposed Fee Increase P.O. Box 577 Yosemite, CA 95389. The public is also invited to an open house in the Yosemite Valley Auditorium, located behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The new fees could be implemented in early 2015.
The ballot’s fine
Several Swall Meadows residents have noticed that Measure F, the Paradise Fire Protection District pracel tax measure, also appears on their ballots. The obvious question: Why would Swall Meadows residents be voting on a local tax measure not their own?
The simple answer: They won’t be. Mono County Counsel Marshall Rudolph explained to The Sheet this week that for the purposes of counting votes on Measure F, the Paradise and Swall Meadows ballots will be separated so as to prevent the Swall Meadows votes (if there are any) from being counted.
