Yosemite National Park U.S

National Park Service Yosemite National Park U.S. Department of the Interior Tuolumne Wild & Scenic River Final Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement The Tuolumne Wild and The Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River flows through direction for managing use and user capacity with Scenic River, designated in 1984, includes 83 miles of the heart of Yosemite’s High Sierra. Designated in the Tuolumne River corridor for the next 20 years the river on the western 1984, 83 miles of the river are protected as a Wild and beyond. It evaluates impacts and threats to river side of the Sierra Nevada and Scenic River, with 54 miles of the Tuolumne in values and identifies strategies for protecting and in California. Yosemite National Park. The river’s two main forks, enhancing these values over the long-term. The plan the Dana and Lyell forks, begin near the mountains follows and documents planning processes required of the same name at the crest of the Sierra Nevada. by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), The forks then converge and the river meanders the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and lazily westward through Tuolumne Meadows before other legal mandates governing National Park Service cascading down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne decision-making. In accordance with these statutes, and exiting the park near Poopenaut Valley (the the Final Tuolumne River Plan/EIS was developed in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is not part of the national consultation with members of the public, traditional- wild and scenic rivers system). ly-associated American Indian tribes and groups, and other key stakeholder groups, and strongly reflects Why a Comprehensive Management Plan? this input. The Wild and Scenic River Act (WSRA) requires comprehensive planning to protect the free-flowing What the Plan Includes condition, water quality, and the outstandingly re- In accordance with WSRA, NEPA, NHPA, and other markable values (ORVs) of designated rivers (ORVs applicable statutes, the plan: are the special attributes that make a river eligible for inclusion). The Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River • Establishes the boundaries and segment classi- Final Comprehensive Management Plan and Environ- fications (as wild, scenic, or recreational) of the mental Impact Statement (Final Tuolumne River Plan/ Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River. EIS) is the National Park Service’s response to this re- • Provides a clear process for protection of the quirement. The Final Tuolumne River Plan/EIS will be river’s free-flowing condition in keeping with the guiding document for protecting and enhancing WSRA Section 7. the Tuolumne’s river values (free-flowing condition, • Refines descriptions of the river’s 10 outstand- water quality, and the ORVs). The plan will provide ingly remarkable values, documents their condition, and establishes monitoring programs and preserve and sustain wilderness character, including actions to protect and enhance them. natural ecosystem function and opportunities for • Determines the type and location of facilities primitive, unconfined recreation, in the more than (both current and future) necessary to provide 90 percent of the river corridor that is congressio- for public use and enjoyment of the river. nally designated Wilderness. • Establishes a visitor use capacity program that addresses the kinds and amounts of public use Improve Visitor Experience that the river corridor can sustain while protect- Under the preferred alternative, future visitors to ing and enhancing the river values. Tuolumne Meadows will experience reduced con- • Evaluates a range of alternatives, assesses the gestion on trails and roadways, unobstructed views effects of each action alternative on natural and of the meadows, an improved campground, and socio-cultural resources, and identifies an “en- more clearly delineated parking areas and trail- vironmentally preferred” alternative. heads. A full range of orientation, interpretation, • Describes consultation and coordination ef- and education programs will continue to be pro- forts. vided, and opportunities for day visitors to connect with the river will be improved by providing a new Evaluation of Alternatives visitor contact station, picnic area, and trail connec- As part of the Final Tuolumne River Plan/EIS, the tion to the river and Parsons Memorial Lodge. Ex- National Park Service evaluated five alternatives isting opportunities for traditional overnight use will (one “No Action” alternative and four action alter- be retained. To accommodate slightly increased use natives). The “No Action” Alternative represents levels while protecting and enhancing the meadows, a continuation of current management practices day use would generally be confined to formally and provides a basis to compare differences among maintained trails and specific destinations. The fol- the alternatives. Alternatives 1 through 4 would all lowing specific actions will accomplish these goals: protect and enhance river values through meadow and riparian restoration, mitigation of hydrologic The Tuolumne Meadows Campground will be impacts, elimination of roadside informal parking to rehabilitated while remaining at its current capacity discourage social trailing, and the rehabilitation of of 329 sites and 7 group sites. Primary improve- the Tuolumne Meadows Campground. The action ments will include upgrading and adding restrooms, alternatives allow for different quantities and mix- repairing the campground roads, delineating camp- tures of use, reflecting an array of different types ing spots to reduce resource damage, relocating the of desired visitor experiences that were based on entrance road and kiosk out of the floodplain, and public comment and feedback during the planning relocating campsites away from the river. process. Alternative 1 would emphasize primitive, unconfined recreation by removing all commercial • The Tuolumne Lodge will remain at its current services, resulting in the lowest levels of visitation. capacity with some facilities relocated away Alternative 2 would respond to those members of from the river and a new shower house provid- the public who expressed a desire for more recre- ed for guests and members of the public. ational opportunities, resulting in higher use levels. • A new visitor contact station and trailhead Alternative 3 would retain the majority of services, parking lot will be built in a central location on but with a slightly lower use level. Alternative 4 the south side of Tioga Road to replace the ex- (Preferred) would balance the traditional Tuolumne Removing roadside park- isting visitor center in Tuolumne Meadows. The ing and replacing it with experience with a slight reduction in development new facility will offer easy access to the Parsons designated spaces in re- to make visitor use more sustainable, while slightly designed parking lots will Memorial Lodge trail across the meadows. improve safety, reduce increasing user capacity. A more thorough descrip- Also, a new trail will be provided along Tioga congestion, and improve tion of Alternative 4 (Preferred) and how it has views of the meadows Road to connect the visitor contact station with along Tioga Road. changed in response to public comment follows. the campground, store and grill. • The existing visitor center will be converted to Alternative 4 (Preferred) administrative uses and trailhead parking for In the Tuolumne Meadows area, Alternative 4 would Cathedral Lakes, with a connecting trail con- seek to balance the traditional Tuolumne experi- structed. ence with the need to reduce the impacts of devel- • The Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp will continue opment. It would also provide a more meaningful its operation at a slightly reduced capacity (-4 introduction to the Tuolumne River for the growing beds). number of short-term visitors. The “environmen- tally preferred” alternative, Alternative 4 would • Private whitewater boating will be allowed on tertiary treatment. a trial basis through the Grand Canyon of the • Implementing water conservation measures in Tuolumne, from Pothole Dome to Pate Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, including upgrading water within the current wilderness permit quota distribution lines and fixtures to be more effi- system. cient, installing water meters, and limiting water • Picnic areas will be improved and expanded at withdrawals from the river to 10% of low flows. Lembert Dome and at the store and grill. • Relocating all development from within 100 feet Protect the Tuolumne River’s Health of the river, including 21 campsites at the Tu- Historic sheep grazing and inadvertent visitor ac- olumne Meadows Campground. tions have resulted in localized effects on meadows • Reducing the impacts of the Glen Aulin High and riparian areas in Tuolumne Meadows. The Tu- Sierra Camp by reducing packstock resupply olumne River Plan will address these issues through trips, limiting water consumption and associ- a comprehensive ecological restoration program. ated wastewater production, and replacing flush Following are specifics of this program along with toilets with composters. other actions that will restore the ecological health • Reducing pack stock use and associated im- and beauty of the meadows: pacts on trails in the river corridor by discon- tinuing commercial day rides. • Restoring 171 acres of meadow and riparian • Designating stock campsites in Lyell Canyon habitat and 2 acres of upland habitat. and limiting stock access to times when mead- • Directing river access to resilient areas and re- ows

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