Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Monday, June 28, 2010
Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Monday, June 28, 2010
Weather
Yosemite Valley
Today: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Southwest wind between 3
and 11 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming
east.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming west between 7 and
10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. West southwest wind 6 to
11 mph becoming southeast.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 86. South southwest wind between 7 and
13 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
El Portal
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 102. Southeast wind at 10 mph
becoming west southwest.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 56. North northwest wind 7 to 11 mph
becoming east northeast.
Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming west
southwest between 6 and 9 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. West wind 5 to 9 mph
becoming north.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. East southeast wind 7 to 9 mph
becoming southwest.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50.
Wawona
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 99. Calm wind becoming west between
7 and 10 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 53. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph becoming
east.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming west between 7 and
10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind 5 to 8
mph becoming east.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 88. East southeast wind 6 to 10 mph
becoming west southwest.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Happening Today (see Community News below for other events happening today)
Prescribed Burn: Yosemite National Park Fire Managers are planning a
prescribed fire in the western portion of the park near Crane Flat early
this week. Ignition of the prescribed fire is dependent on weather
conditions. The total prescribed burn area will include 200 acres.
Roadside thinning along the Big Oak Flat Road, as well as the ignition of
several burn piles, has taken place over the last few years in preparation
for this project. Fire engines, water tenders, and fire crews from
Yosemite National Park and the U.S. Forest Service will be present during
all fire activity. This will be the first prescribed fire of the 2010 fire
season.
It is estimated that the burn will take approximately two to three days to
complete. Temperatures over the scheduled burn dates are predicted to be
in the mid-70’s.
Smoke from the burn may be visible throughout the park, but may be more
evident in Foresta, El Portal and the Hodgdon Meadow area. There is a
possibility of nighttime smoke impacts along the Big Oak Flat Road near the
Crane Flat area.
The goal of this prescribed burn is to reduce fire fuels near the park
boundary, the Rockefeller Grove of sugar pine trees, and structures located
in the Crane Flat area. This will be the first prescribed fire in this
specific location, however other areas near the proposed site have
previously been burned. (K. Cobb - 6/28/10)
Construction Update:
Yosemite Valley Striping Work (Pavement Markings)
A contractor will be working tonight (7:00 pm to 6:00 am) to finish
installing a centerline stripe in Yosemite Valley on Northside and
Southside Drive. Expect minimal delays. (M. Ortiz - 6/28/10)
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Hwy. 140 Construction and Road Closure with Delays (July 11): Repairs will
be made to the road/guardrail between the two temporary bridges at the
Ferguson Rockslide along Hwy. 140 on 7/11/2010. Work will be done between
the hours 10:00pm and 6:00am. There will be traffic control conducted by
the California Highway Patrol - therefore, people will be able to get
through during those hours with a slight delay. (K. Reynolds - 6/25/10)
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**For all Yosemite road construction information and updates, visit the
park's website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/roadwork.htm (M.
Ortiz - 6/22/10)
Wawona Road Rehabilitation (June 1 - November 2010): Locations may vary
throughout the day, but these are the primary locations scheduled.
*Today's locations of work: Today, there will be placement of
concrete curb in the 5 mile section that runs north from
approximately one mile north of the Wawona Campground as well as from
the Wawona Tunnel to Bridalveil Fall.
*Tonight's locations of work: Tonight, there will be grading in the 5
mile section that runs north from approximately a mile north of the
Wawona Campground. There will also be subexcavation and installation
of culverts in the 5 mile section south of the Wawona Tunnel.
*Tuesday's (6/29/10) locations of work: Tomorrow, there will be
placement of curb in the 6 mile section south of the Glacier Point
Road intersection (Chinquapin).
**Please use caution when driving along the Wawona Road - there are
numerous unpaved surfaces.
For daily traffic control updates, call the park information line at (209)
372-0200 (then press 1, and 1 again). (M. Ortiz - 6/22/10)
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Crane Flat Campground - Water Line Repairs
Candelaria Construction is working on an accelerated schedule to complete
work within the campground with plans to have it open by July 1st for those
people that have reservations. Leaking and deteriorating water lines were
in need of repair or complete replacement throughout various areas in the
campground. Throughout the summer, areas trenched for this project will
remain unpaved, with plans to pave after Labor Day 2010. (M. Ortiz -
6/28/10)
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Tioga Road Pavement Borings(June 7 - July 1, 2010) [Weather and conditions
permitting]
Beginning Monday, June 7 crews began pavement borings on the Tioga Road
between Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows Campground with up to 15-minute
traffic delays, Monday through Friday with no weekend delays. This work is
being conducted in preparation for a future rehabilitation project. (M.
Ortiz - 6/28/10)
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Integrated Utility Master Plan [IUMP] (ongoing)
Mozingo (contractor) has a very small crew working in the park this week
doing clean up and punch list work related to the Ahwahnee lift station.
Because of high water levels other work related to the utility project is
on hold. (M. Ortiz - 6/28/10)
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Wawona Tunnel (ongoing)
Candelaria Construction is continuing work on the fire alarm systems and
fans in the Wawona Tunnel. (M. Ortiz - 6/28/10)
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Tecoya Housing (ongoing)
Allison Sierra will be doing some cleanup work in the Lower Tecoya area but
wont be doing any excavating for a couple weeks due to high water levels.
(M. Ortiz - 6/28/10)
Park and Partner News
Organizational Changes: The Superintendent's office is undergoing some
reorganizations. Scott Gediman now reports to the Superintendent's Office
where he is assuming the role of Assistant Superintendent for Public and
Legislative Affairs. Scott will continue conducting public affairs
activities for the park including media relations, special events, and
hosting international delegations. He is also handling legislative affairs,
working with the political delegations that interact with the park. Scott
is joined by Kari Cobb, Public Affairs Officer, and their new intern from
Fresno State, Suzie Gutierrez. (D. Neubacher - 6/28/10)
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Surprise Bus Inspections Conducted in Yosemite National Park
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in conjunction
with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and the National Park Service
(NPS) held surprise inspections for all commercial for hire multiple
passenger tour buses in Yosemite National Park between June 9 and June 20,
2010. The purpose of these unannounced inspections is ensure visitor
safety through safe operation of tour buses in an attempt to reduce chances
of crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving tour buses bringing
passengers to Yosemite National Park.
Roadside inspections adhere to the guidelines of the North American
Standard for bus safety. There are five levels of inspections including a
vehicle component, a driver component, or a combination of both.
Inspections are designed to determine if buses are in compliance with the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Violations may result in fines
or taking a bus out of service immediately.
Yosemite National Park receives approximately 3.5 million visitors per
year, with approximately 250,000 arriving on a tour bus. The large
majority of tour bus passengers are international visitors from countries
such as Japan, Korea, Germany, and England. Many of these visitors come to
Yosemite in conjunction with visiting other parts of California. It is a
primary concern of the NPS in Yosemite that these visitors are safe during
their travels in the park. Further, the extensive travels of international
visitors throughout the state affords the cooperating agencies to work
together to promote bus safety. Yosemite National Park, the FMCSA, and the
CHP strive to ensure visitor safety and appreciate the mutual support of
the other agencies involved in these surprise bus inspections.
Over a period of five days of inspections, Yosemite Law Enforcement
Rangers, CHP Patrol Officers, and Commercial Carrier Safety Inspectors
examined 153 commercial buses. Out of 153 inspections, 47 buses were found
to be safe and were released with no citation. A total of 55 minor fix-it
tickets were written. In addition, 35 written citations and 27 verbal
warnings were given for mechanical deficiencies. A total of 22 buses were
placed out of service for mechanical deficiencies and 10 bus drivers were
ordered out of service for logbook violations.
Additional surprise inspections will continue throughout the year. (K. Cobb
- 6/28/10)
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Merced River Plan - Presentations, Workshops, and Round Table Discussions
Regarding Outstanding Remarkable Values
Yosemite National Park is developing a Comprehensive Management Plan for
the Merced Wild and Scenic River, in order to protect and enhance its
Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs), water quality and free flowing
condition.
MONTHLY OPEN HOUSE: We will be presenting the ORVs on Wed 30th during our
monthly open house. Please get supervisor’s approval if you are planning to
attend during work hours.
When: June 30th 2010: 1-6 pm - 2 presentations (2:30 and 5 pm)
Where: Yosemite Valley Visitor Center Auditorium
**Additional ORV presentations include:
WORKSHOPS (discussion with Yosemite subject matter experts and user
capacity experts):
When: June 28th 2010: 5-8 pm
Where: San Ramon City Council Chamber - 2228 Camino Ramon, San Ramon, CA
When: June 29th 2010: 5-8 pm
Where: Fresno County Supervisors Chamber - 2281 Tulare St, Room 301,
Fresno, CA
When: June 30th 2010: 9-11 am
Where: Oakhurst Community Center - 39800 Road 24B, Oakhurst, CA
ROUND TABLES (discussion with Yosemite subject matter experts):
When: July 1st 2010: 12-2 pm
Where: Groveland Community Hall - 18730 Main St, Hwy 120, Groveland, CA
When: July 2nd 2010: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Where: Mono Basin Visitor Center - Highway 395, Lee Vining, CA
When: July 13th 2010: 5:30-7 pm
Where: El Portal Community Center - 5567 Foresta Rd, El Portal, CA
For further information, please call 209/379-1110. See you there! (L. Leao
– 6/25/10)
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GEOLOGY UNDERFOOT IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Yosemite Conservancy has
received its first delivery of our latest, and most definitive geologic
handbook, published by Mountain Press, and co-authored by Allen F. Glazner
and Yosemite’s own Greg Stock. This 300 page comprehensive trade paperback
retails at $24, and is available at the Yosemite Bookstore in the Valley
Visitor Center, or at the Yosemite Conservancy warehouse in El Portal.
Yosemite Conservancy current members and donors receive a 15% discount with
purchase, and park partners receive a 10% discount with a DNC employee
discount card. (T. Arfsten - 6/25/10)
Acting Designations
Greg Stock will be the Acting Branch Chief for Physical Science and
Landscape Ecology on Monday, June 28. Greg can be reached at 379-1420.
Bill Kuhn will be the Acting Branch Chief for Physical Science and
Landscape Ecology on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 29-30. Bill can be
reached at 379-1157. (J. Meyer - 6/28/10)
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While I am away from the office on park business Historical Architect
Sueann Brown (379-1222) will be acting Branch Chief for History,
Architecture & Landscapes June 28 and 29, 2010 and Historical Architect
Gabrielle Harlan (379-1470) will be acting on June 30, 2010. (D. Humphrey -
6/28/10)
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Marty Nielson will be the point of contact for the Lands Management Program
while Sean McCabe is on leave from June 24 until July 6. If you need
immediate assistance please contact Marty by calling Wendy Malone on
209-372-0270. (S. McCabe - 6/22/10)
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George Harders will be the Acting Branch Chief for Utilities Monday June
28th. You may phone George at his El Portal office at 379-1828. If
unavailable you may leave a message with Katie Bablitch at 379-1055. Rodney
Raines will be the Acting Branch Chief for Utilities Friday June 25th. You
may phone Rodney at his Wawona office 375-9510. (S. Gaynor - 6/22/10)
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Curator Barbara Beroza (372-0297) will be acting Branch Chief for the
Museum Program June 19 - July 7, 2010. (J. Bayless - 6/1710)
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Until further notice, Brenna Lissoway (379-1283) will be the Acting Park
Archivist while Paul Rogers is on a detail as the Acting Regional Archivist
(PWR). If you have need to access the Archives, or have archive related
questions, you can also try calling at 379-1281 or 379-1104. (J. Bayless -
6/3/10)
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Until further notice, Lorene Schafer (379-1873) will be the Acting Chief
for Contracting and Procurement . If you have contracting related questions
and don't already have a point of contact, please call Helli Tucker at
379-1368. Please continue to route purchase request (PR) packages to Lorene
for Acquisition Approval in IDEAS.
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Until further notice, Ed Dunlavey will be the acting Operations Branch
Chief and Deputy Chief Ranger.
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Until further notice, Cindy Whitten will be the acting Human Resources
Officer - 209/379-1878.
Employee News
Goodbye Reception: Please join us in honoring and thanking David Guy on
Thursday, July 1 at a reception in the Yosemite Conservancy El Portal
office from 4:30-6:00 p.m. David is moving on, after three years of superb
leadership of the Yosemite Association. David’s vision and hard work was
instrumental in the formation of the Yosemite Conservancy, a legacy that
will live in on the form of strong support for Yosemite for years and years
to come. You, as part of the Yosemite community, are an integral part of
the success of the new Yosemite Conservancy. We hope you will join us in
this celebration of David, his contributions to our community, the
Association, and the new Conservancy.If you plan to attend, please RSVP to
John Friedrich, jfriedrich@yosemite.org. (J. Friedrich - 6/28/10)
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Yosemite National Park Archeologist Laura Kirn Wins Prestigious Award
Laura Kirn is the 2010 recipient of the Stephen K.F. and Katharine W. Lee
Prize from the Goucher College Master of Arts in Historic Preservation
program. The Lee Prize was established in 1999 by Antoinette J. Lee,
National Park Service Deputy Assistant Director for Cultural Resources, in
honor Lee's parents.
The Lee Prize is given each year for the best paper or project from a
Goucher College graduate student that addresses the preservation of
America's diverse heritage, including cultural and ethnic groups,
life-style diversity, and the cultural imprint of other defined groups on
American society.
Kirn’s work documents the historical significance of the Wesley and Alice
Wilson House, the last remaining building from the Indian Village in
Yosemite Valley. This modest house embodies the importance of the National
Park Service’s historical and ongoing relationship with American Indians.
Kirn is currently the Branch Chief for Anthropology and Archeology in the
Division of Resources Management and Science at Yosemite National Park. (K.
Cobb - 6/25/10)
Community News
Ride Share Needed To or From Fresno: Ride share needed from El Portal to
Fresno in the evening on Thursday, July 2 or on Friday, July 3 in the early
morning. Ride share also needed from Fresno to El Portal in the evening on
Monday, July 5. If you are willing to ride share during one of these
times, please contact Karen Hagberg at 847.651.9062 or
Karen_hagberg@nps.gov. I will pay for you gas! (K. Hagberg - 6/28/10)
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Come celebrate the 4th of July with The Adam Burns Band and The
Stereofidelics at Mountain Sage! It?s going to be a good old boogie-till
you drop blues and rock n? roll shindig. The Adam Burns Band combines rock,
ska, and eastern European influences to create music that is both energetic
and richly melodic. The Stereofidelics are a high-energy, original
retro-alt-rock band with multi-instrumental capabilities to deliver an
exciting show for both the eyes and ears. Check the bands out at:
www.adamburnsband.com and www.stereof.com.
Advanced tickets are $15/adult, day of/door tickets are $17/adult and kids
are $6 (ages 6-12). You can buy tickets online at www.mtnsage.com or over
the phone at 209-962-4686. (Mountain Sage - 6/28/10)
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Prepare to take a FUNKY RIDE!! The Pimps of Joytime are making their 2nd
appearance in Yosemite Valley. On Tuesday, June 29th from 9pm until
Midnight they will rock out the East Auditorium (behind the Visitor Center)
at yet another FREE show sponsored by DNC Employee Recreation. Every
Yosemite community member is invited and encouraged not to miss this
incredible show! Please remember to bring an employee and photo ID, cash
for refreshments, and dancing shoes! No backpacks or outside alcohol
please. (E. Brosk - 6/25/10)
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Jay Cook Bruce’s Movie “Cougar Killer”
In another chapter in the history of Wawona, the Wawona Friends of the
Bassett Memorial Library will host Tom Phillips and the 1924 movie Cougar
Killer starring Wawona’s Jay Bruce Tuesday, June 29 at 7 p.m. in the
library. . In 1918, Jay Cook Bruce was appointed the first California State
Mountain Lion Hunter. Jay was born in Hornitos and grew up in Wawona where
he learned to hunt from the local Indians. In 1924, Henry Snow, a world
renown wildlife photographer, followed Jay on some of his hunting
expeditions and filmed the events. Jay did the audio portion of his film
in 1953 - the same year as his book “Cougar Killer” was published. Tom
will give a short presentation following the viewing of the movie and he
will be available for questions about the film or other items of interest
regarding his family’s history in Wawona. Refreshments will be served.
There is no admission charge. (P. Sischo - 6/25/10)
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