Yosemite Photos, Video and News

Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Thursday, July 22, 2010

Weather

Yosemite Valley
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 91. West southwest wind between 8
and 10 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 57. West southwest wind between 5 and 8
mph becoming calm.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming west
between 8 and 11 mph.

El Portal
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 94. West southwest wind around 9
mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 59. West southwest wind between 4 and 7
mph becoming calm.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Calm wind becoming west
between 7 and 10 mph.

Wawona
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 92. West southwest wind around 9
mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 50. Calm wind becoming east between 5
and 8 mph.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming west
between 7 and 10 mph.

Tuolumne Area
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 92. West southwest wind around 9
mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 50. Calm wind becoming east between 5
and 8 mph.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming west
between 7 and 10 mph.

Happening Today (see Community News below for other events happening
today)
Hazard Tree Work Continues
Contractors continue tree hazard cleanup along the Big Oak Flat Road and
Tioga Road in the Crane Flat area. Intermittent one-lane traffic control
is anticipated with brief delays. (B. Mattos - 7/19/10)

Construction Update:
Soda Springs Bridge Intermittent Closure: The Soda Springs Bridge (near
the Parson's lodge) will be closed periodically from July 12 - August 5
for repairs. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. (C. Hime -
7/12/10)
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BEGINNING TODAY: El Portal Complex Photovoltaic System (to be completed
approximately 5 months from when work begins July 22)
Paragon Industrial Applications (PIA) [contractor] will start moving
material and equipment into the El Portal Complex area today, July 22,
2010. Trenching for the new PV systems and work on the carports will
begin in August. To minimize potential traffic and parking problems, PIA
has agreed to work Thursday - Sunday. Park Management encourages El
Portal Complex employees to carpool, use the bus, ride your bike or walk
to work during construction days as there will be a decrease in parking
during construction. More information will follow as to the specific
locations of work and alternate parking throughout the project (M. Ortiz -
7/22/10)
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Wawona Road Rehabilitation (June 1 - November 2010):

**Today's locations of work (7/22): Today, there will be placement of
curb in the area that runs 6 miles south of and 6 miles north of the
Glacier Point Road intersection (Chinquapin). There will also be
placement of string line in the area that runs approximately a half
mile north of the South Entrance to a mile north of the Wawona
Campground.
**Tonight's locations of work: Tonight, there will be pulverization of
existing pavement, work on culverts, and paving in the section that
runs from a mile north of the Wawona Campground to the Glacier Point
Road intersection (Chinquapin).

**Please use caution when driving along the Wawona Road - there are
numerous unpaved surfaces.

-For all Yosemite road construction information and updates, visit the
park's website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/roadwork.htm

-For daily traffic control updates, call the park information line at
(209) 372-0200 (then press 1, and 1 again). (M. Ortiz - 7/22/10)
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Integrated Utility Master Plan [IUMP] (to be completed by the end of 2010)

Mozingo Construction (contractor) is working this week to remove abandoned
utilities in the meadow between the Yosemite Valley Elementary School
(between Yosemite Village and Lower Yosemite Fall) and Northside Drive.
(M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)
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Wawona Tunnel (ongoing)
Candelaria Construction (contractor) is continuing work on the fire alarm
and ventilation systems in the Wawona Tunnel. (M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)
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Tecoya Housing (to be completed by October 1, 2010)
Allison Sierra (contractor) will be working in the Lower Tecoya area to
replace old and failing water, sewer, and power lines. Currently they are
working near the laundry room, E Dorm, F Dorm, and the area between
Residence 108 - 113. (M. Ortiz - 7/12/10)

Park and Partner News
Fire Update #1 – July 22, 2010
Two lightning caused fires were discovered July 19, 2010, on the north rim
of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. Smoke was reported visible from
the east, near the Waterwheel Fall area. Yosemite received lightning late
last week and into the past weekend along the Sierra crest. It is not
unusual to find these fires a few days after thunderstorms.

These remote fires are approximately at the 8000’ elevation and within two
miles of each other. They are in designated wilderness, and located in
Tuolumne County. Firefighters were flown into the fire area and spike
camped out in the fire area to monitor the fires. They will gather data
to assess the fire spread potential and observe fire behavior.
Additionally, they will collect adjacent fuels and other vegetation
information, determine fuel moistures, locate natural fire barriers, and
place trail warning signs as needed. The two lightning caused fires are
being managed for multiple objectives.

Tuolumne: 37 57.024 x 119 32.582. It mapped on the ground to .4 of an
acre. It is west of the Wildcat 2 fire and Rodgers Creek. It has a
slight potential to spread. It is burning in short needle conifer
vegetation and brush, on a south aspect. No fire activity was observed
today.

Wildcat 2: 37 56.865 x 119 30.447 – It grew to 2.9 acres. It has moderate
potential to spread. Light smoke is visible. It is on the south side of
Register Creek and north of last summer’s Wildcat fire. It continues to
creep through brush. Winds were from the west to northwest.

There are three historical fires in this area: 1948, 1985 and last year’s
2009, Wildcat fire.

Suppression Fire:

Footbridge: 37 46.319x119 32.275 – This .10 acre fire was discovered July
20, 2010, and is in Mariposa County. This fire was suppressed utilizing
Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST), utilizing the least impacting
tools on the land. The helitack crew assigned to the fire hiked out of
the fire area 7/21. It is in patrol status. This fire was burning in
heavy fuels, many of which are snags, (standing dead trees.) Light smoke
was visible from Glacier point, and was dispersing to the northwest. The
fire was near the Snow Creek footbridge and n/w of Basket Dome.

The National Weather Service continues to predict a chance of
thunderstorms later this week and into the weekend.

Another update will be out in the next few days as new data is collected,
including photos. Additional maps and photographs are available to view
on the Yosemite Webpage: www.nps.gov/yose/fire.

“The National Park Service manages wildland fire to protect the public,
communities and infrastructure, conserve natural and cultural resources
and restore and maintain ecological health.”

For Additional Information: Fire Information and Education Office: (209)
372-0480 or online: www.nps.gov/yose/fire (G. Wuchner - 7/22/10)
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Bear Facts - July 11- July 17, 2010

Weekly Total

# of Incidents
Damage
Parking Lots
16
$7,823
Campgrounds
3
$80
Other Areas
10
$1,545
Backcountry
1
$260
Total
30
$9,708

Yearly Total

# of Incidents
Damage
Parking Lots
82
$35,338
Campgrounds
42
$4,077
Other Areas
92
$26,591
Backcountry
11
$1,909
Total
227
$67,915

*Additionally there have been 35 bear incidents where a bear obtained
trash that was left out or from trash cans or dumpsters that were not
secure.
Year to Date Comparisons for the Week of July 11-July 17

1998
2010
Percent Change
2009
2010
Percent Change
Incidents
386
227
-41.19%
235
227
-3.40%
Damage
$178,739
$67,915
-62.00%
$21,705
$67,9
15
+212.90%

There have already been 13 bears hit, and 6 killed by vehicles this year.
Please obey speed limits and pay attention while driving!

WEEKLY INCIDENTS BY LOCATION

# of Incidents
Yosemite Valley
28
Sunrise Creek/LYV
1
Tuolumne
1

BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY: This week bears continued to break into vehicles to
obtain food. Many visitors and residents have had their vehicles severely
damaged by bears because they overlooked or “forgot” a few small food
items. When bears are successful in finding food in vehicles it
encourages them to damage others that have even the slightest odor of food
within. Don’t overestimate the strength of your vehicle. It is a trivial
exercise for a bear to pop out a window, bend you door frame to a 90
degree angle, or rip off that fancy convertible top. If you value your
property and wild bears in your national park take the time to store your
food properly day and night.

If you are visiting Yosemite, be aware that bears are extremely clever and
opportunistic. It is your responsibility as a visitor to ensure that
bears do not get your food. Please keep these animals wild by diligently
following all park laws. If you see a bear during your visit please
report it to the Save-A-Bear Hotline at 209-372-0322.

INTERESTING BEAR FACT: Of all animals bears possess the strongest sense of
smell. The common dog’s sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a
human, while a bear’s sense of smell is 7 times stronger than a bloodhound
or 2,100 times stronger than that of a human. Yep.. they smell that food
in your car. (T. Seher - 7/22/10)
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Greetings Yosemite! Beginning Thursday July 22 and for five nights the
Moonlight Valley Tour will be operating. The two-hour tour is fascinating
under the moon. Come see the Valley in a different light. Thursday's
departure is 9:00 PM from Yosemite Lodge. (G. Rosenfeld, 7/21/10)

Acting Designations
Jim Bacon will be the Acting Division Chief for the Planning Division July
23rd and 26th. Jim may be reached by phone at 209-658-0850 on Friday and
may be reached by phone on Monday at 379-1375 in El Portal. If
unavailable you may leave a message with Doyle Harrison at 379-1110.
(D.Harrison - 7/22/10)
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Lorene will be acting Administrative Officer for the week of July 19.
Lorene can be reach at 379-1873. (P. Lendvay-Humphrey - 7/20/10)
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Cindy Whitten, Acting HRO will be out of the Park the week of July 19.
Trudy Hawkins (209) 379-1802 will be Acting HRO. (C. Whitten - 7/19/10)
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Shane Sims will be Acting Safety Officer while Roger Farmer on assignment
in the Gulf July 12-July 24. Shane can be reached at 379-1209. (C. Ronay
- 7/16/10)
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Kieth Stowell will be the acting Buildings and Grounds Facilities Manager
July 15- 23. He can be reached at 379-1280, or have a message left with
Tara Hawksley at 379-1054. (A. Sharp - 7/15/10)
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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 379-1282 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
Yosemite Web GIS Portal - Intranet Site and Training Opportunity
RMS announces the availability of the Yosemite Web GIS Portal, a new
web-based mapping site (http://gis.yose.nps.gov). Similar to Google
Earth, the site is extremely user-friendly yet contains detailed
information about park resources and infrastructure, based on the park's
extensive GIS spatial data library. Park staff and volunteers are invited
to a kickoff meeting demonstrating how to use the site on Tuesday July 27
from 9:30-10:30 in the Large Break Room in El Portal. From 10:30-12,
additional in-depth training will be offered for those who want to stay.
Participants who wish to gain hands-on experience are welcome to bring
laptops, but laptops are not required for either part of the meeting.

We ask that you RSVP to Kim Hastings,stating whether you expect to stay
for the additional training and whether you are planning to bring a
laptop. This is to make sure we have enough materials and seating.

Please note that the Yosemite Web GIS Portal is an intranet site only. A
public version of the site will be introduced at a later date. (C. Knipper
- 7/20/10)
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New Employee: Mae Frantz, Outdoor Recreation Planner
Division of Planning: A native of the Central Sierra foothills, Mae has a
strong connection to our gateway communities, regional stakeholders, and
the resource. Her professional experience includes work with the
California Department of Fish and Game, the Community Development
Department of Tuolumne County, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, as well
as extensive consulting experience for both public and private sector
clients. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from San Francisco State University
with a B.A. in Geography focused on Environmental Management. She also
holds a professional certification from an award-winning program in
Geographic Information Systems. Her work in the Planning Division will
support the Merced River Plan and Tuolumne River Plan, where her skills in
spatial analysis, scientific visualization of data, and visual
communication will inform the planning process, foster collaboration
across disciplines, and promote increased public participation. Mae lives
in the community of El Portal and loves exploring the resource with her
partner, Todd. (D. Harrison - 7/21/10)

Community News
LIVE MUSIC: All of the Yosemite Community is welcome to attend another
killer live show at the East Auditorium on Friday 23rd from 9pm until
Midnight! Back to bring down the house with their electro-dance-rock jams
is BLVD!! This band has toured both hemisphere's of the word with great
reception and we're lucky to have them for a private FREE show. Please
bring an employee ID and/or drivers license, cash for refreshments, no
backpacks or outside alcohol, and dancing shoes. Transportation through
out the Valley will be provided after the show. Brought to you by your
friends at DNC Employee Recreation. (E.Brosk - 7/22/10)
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Free Movie Night!!! 7:30 pm on Friday, July 30th at Yosemite Community
Church. Showing of "Amazing Grace", the story of William Wilberforce
life's work to abolish slavery in the British Empire. Free popcorn and
soda! Everyone is welcome. (D. Engelstad - 7/22/10)
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The Yosemite Conservancy is looking for someone to clean the artist
apartment in the Yosemite Art & Education Center in the Valley. The
contractor will be paid a salary of $30/wk to clean the apartment once a
week on Sundays. If you are interested please contact Carolyn King at
379-2317 ext. 10. (C. King - 7/21/2010)
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SIERRA INSTITUTE PRESENTS RESULTS OF IMPORTANT STUDY
A ground-breaking study has just been completed in Mariposa County. The
community is invited to a presentation of the final results at 6 pm on
Wednesday, July 28, at the Mariposa County Government Center.

Mariposa County was chosen from all the counties in the state of
California. It is helping to develop and test a new measurement of the
condition of watersheds in California. The Statewide Watershed Assessment
Framework currently includes scientific indicators for physical attributes
like water quality and the condition of plants and animals. This study
enters new territory by looking at the people living in a watershed, what
they value in their watershed, what concerns they have, and what is needed
for them to understand and work together to address watershed issues.

Over several months, community members from Mariposa County’s three
watersheds shared their knowledge and perspectives on watershed
conditions. Sierra Institute for Community and Environment Consultant
Jonathan Kusel will report on the social and economic indicators for
Mariposa County’s watersheds that emerged from these discussions. He’ll
describe how the indicators were tested in Mariposa County and how they
will help to measure watershed conditions here and throughout California
as well. He‘ll demonstrate how the information gathered in the study will
document what has succeeded and what is still needed to protect Mariposa
County’s exceptional natural resources.

The project was funded by the California Department of Water Resources and
managed by the Sierra Nevada Alliance. For those who cannot attend, the
report will be posted at www.merced-river.org as soon as it is available.
(A. Steed - 7/21/10)
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6TH STREET CINEMA is located upstairs in the historic Old Masonic Lodge
(under historic renovation) on 6th Street in downtown Mariposa. Entrance
is $7 per film for non-members; non-member students pay $5. Monthly
membership is $12 allowing film entry for $3 each. Special performances
and broadcasts have alternate pricing structures.
Recorded Information: 209 966-1333. Staff: 209 742-6666. Visit our
website: http://www.sixthstreetcinema.org or e-mail us:
sixthstreetcinema@sti.net.