Putting Yosemite at Risk To: Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden Congressman Tom McClintock As a child I gazed at photos in books about national parks of magnificent places like Yosemite and dreamed of visiting these special places, thinking someday, someday…. I am trying to imagine how dejected I would have felt, if, when that someday came, I had to sit in a miles-long traffic jam breathing exhaust while waiting to get into Yosemite, drive around for hours trying to find a place to park, and bear witness to cars parked in meadows, trash bins overflowing, and graffiti on trails. Yosemite is one of the most unique places on the planet and is home to a diverse array of wildlife. It is a place that is held in the public trust. Your irresponsible decisions to ignore decades of scientific research about the impacts of overcrowding and eliminate the reservation system have put this place at risk, and the park is suffering damage as a result. Just a few samples of comments on social media of people sharing their recent experience in Yosemite: “We saw cars parked in the middle of meadows, and ditches, in the middle of the road, bus stop parking areas etcetera this is how fires start, vegetation gets ruined and traffic piles up faster!” “I was there today. It was RIDICULOUS! We were stuck in rolling traffic for an hour to reach the Village... All in all, it was very disappointing to say the least. Trash bins were overflowing with garbage strewn around them and bathrooms were disgusting. It was a real S-Show.” “Cars were parked along the road easements, encroaching on the roadway. Cars were parked in the meadows. It was extremely upsetting to see the impacts on the Park.” “It is horrific. Leaving Yosemite now. Lots are full. People parking anywhere they can. The reservation system needs to be put back in place.” All of this was avoidable. Let me remind you of your charge to uphold the national park service’s core mission: "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein….by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." You have been entrusted with managing one of the most special places on the planet yet, instead of conserving for those future generations, you are managing Yosemite as if it were an amusement park. When the National Park Service was formed in 1916, just over 300,000 people visited our parks. Today, that number has risen to over 300 million. To think that landscapes like Yosemite can accommodate this increase of visitation without lasting damage and threats to the flora and fauna is magical thinking. It is not just unrealistic but also ignoring scientific evidence to the contrary to keep thinking so. Decades of rigorous scientific study was undertaken that demonstrates Yosemite has a carrying capacity, which details the impacts of overcrowding on the wildlife and the landscape. Please read it. You might start with the 2014 Merced Wild and Scenic River Plan or the 2024 Yosemite Visitor Access Management Plan and Environmental Assessment. Yosemite has also done scientific visitor surveys multiple times and how overcrowding impacts the park experience. A 2005 visitor study by the University of Idaho found that 58% of people felt crowded by the number vehicles and 55% of people felt crowded by the by the number of other people. And not only are you ignoring the park research, you are ignoring the direct harm to the park’s cherished wildlife, which you are entrusted with protecting. Research has shown, for example, that visitation levels (not speeding) are directly linked with bears being hit by vehicles. As visitation increases, the chance of a bear being hit by a vehicle also typically increases. Keep adding more cars, and you’ll be causing the death of more bears. Why are you putting the life of Yosemite’s bears at stake? I can still remember my first campfire talk decades ago, and how dedicated park rangers inspired in my young girl self a love for our country’s national parks—deemed America’s best idea. These rangers were dedicated to protecting the parks and their wildlife for the future, and they instilled in me that we needed to take seriously our responsibility to be stewards of these special places. The park rangers in Yosemite, many of who I know personally, are similarly dedicated to protecting this special place, and they inspire me. Your decisions also betray these hardworking people, who had to deal with the beyond challenging conditions you created on this holiday weekend, and will have to continue to contend with the consequences of your actions during this busy summer season. I have been visiting Yosemite for since 1992, worked in the park for nine years, and have lived outside the park for almost three decades. Like millions of other people, I cherish Yosemite, the park’s magnificent landscape, and the incredible wildlife that call it home. I want not only the future generations of our children and grandchildren the chance to experience this special place, but also the visitors of today to have an exceptional time that allows them to celebrate this natural wonder. Today’s visitors deserve better than sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours breathing exhaust just to enter the park. Reinstate the reservation system. Please stop abdicating your duty to the park and its wildlife. Start managing Yosemite with the directive you were charged that first and foremost ensures the protection of the parks and its wildlife. Sincerely, Beth Pratt Conservation leader and lifetime national park visitor