Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

Thanks, John. I'd like to email you, but can't find your email address. Would you email me at Edie at littleredtent dot net?

Check this page out:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/currentplans.htm

If you're interested in Sierra environmental issues in general, check out these folks:
http://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/

@John:

I'll be honest: I'm not one for reading local newspapers, no do I even own a television, so I didn't hear about this until I read about it on Yosemiteblog.com. However, I work here in the valley, and I can tell you for a fact that there was no word at all among the people who live and work here. None. Zip. Nilch. Nada. Not one announcement at work, not one flier on any of the numerous bulletin boards all over the park.

Bureaucracy is notorious for not making plans well known. I'm reminded of the opening chapter of Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy in which the protagonist's home is destroyed for a new road. The work supervisor said the plans had been posted publicly, and Arthur Dent replied that they had been posted in the basement of the courthouse, behind a locked door that said "Beware of the lion".

This is the digital age, yes, but not not everyone has access to the internet. Nor do those of us with online have access to newspapers every day, specifically local papers where this was mentioned.

I honestly think that NPS was remiss in not making this issue better publicized.

You're right that being involved doesn't always mean getting your way, though.

Thank you for pointing out my factual error. I really do try to report things objectively, but sometimes I'm bound by my own ignorance.

Would you mind sharing some URLs for resources that you find helpful? I'll try to add my voice to the cacophony of information in the future from my own blog.

Edie

I'm surprised that Edie would say the issue was not discussed in public since it certainly was. The whole environmental assessment, including public comments that were taken, can be found online.

If you really want to know what's going on in your national parks -- and you want to know before something is a done deal -- you can get on all kinds of mailing lists, you can monitor web sites, you can join affinity organizations that have staff people to keep you on top of things. This project did not happen in secret.

That said, getting involved doesn't always mean getting your way! ;)

@Edie thanks for the invite. I'll likely be in Yosemite sometime in the near future. I'll be sure to contact you before then.

Jim,

I think one of the best comments I've gotten so far is that historicity is debatable because what about the history of how that area looked before the tunnel was built. Another thing to consider is that the parking lot area was built with the ruble from the excavation of the tunnel.

I enjoyed the link that John shared; According to that article, the tunnel was built so that the side of the valley wouldn't be scarred with a road. Interesting, that, because there was a road already in place, and you can still walk along it. In fact, you follow it partially to get to Old Inspiration Point.

I'd like to invite you to come and see the vista at the tunnel now; While the loss of the trees is lamentable, I think overall the opportunities are increased. Let's face it; No matter how good the photographs are (or how bad!), nothing can compare to actually being there. I'd be happy to share my knowledge of the area with you. I'm familiar with several areas off the parking lot that afford some incredible photo ops. I'd also recommend making the trek to the top of Turtleback dome, and would be happy to show you how to get up there.

Feel free to drop me an email!

Edie

@Edie "historic" is definitely debatable. Numerous people were able to enjoy magnificent views before the tunnel. The tunnel didn't create the views... it merely afforded more people an opportunity to see a particularly unique view. Restoring it back to a cleared view after construction isn't necessarily restoring the view back to an optimal form.

I'm all for access and safety, but removing trees should be done sparingly. Yes we can split hairs on the term "old growth"... I wasn't trying to equate the term to say "old growth" Redwoods, but they are older growth trees in the general sense. Trees seem to be managed as though they're more disposable than they really should be. Sick tree removal is fine, but there are ways to build viewing decks in and around existing trees. I would argue on some level more access isn't necessarily better for the park. The view was easily accessible before. The issue is crowd management not view management. My point earlier is that even if they make a big deck its going to fill to capacity and there will still be traffic issues during the spring and summer. I think its a pipe dream to think that increasing capacity for a viewing area is going to solve the larger problem.

On a side note I wouldn't give your work away just because you work for a concessionaire there. Even Ansel sold commercial work taken while on government contract. Moonrise over Hernandez is a perfect example. I do think its noble of you to share your wealth of images though. More power to you and thanks for sharing the latest from the valley.

@Mark you know they set fire to the park regularly too. I have several photos from a trip in early March of severely burned trees from controlled burns in the park. When they say Yosemite is being loved to death its not just in relation to the visitors.

@John Great info. I didn't realize there was a larger plan. Either way I think they could stand to temper the expansion. Yosemite is being over run by crowds and I don't see how expansion is going to solve that. The lookout will always be a hectic place because it will always fill to capacity. Time will tell how things play out. I still think it is unfortunate that they decided to remove the trees.

Jim,

I'll say up front that I am on the fence about the cutting of the trees at the tunnel view area. I too am not happy that it wasn't discussed publicly. I'm also not keen on how it was framed on the poster I saw (and photographed) at the parking lot; "Historic vista restoration" is a rather disingenius way of putting it, IMO.

On the other hand, I'm going to point out that the two photos above were not taken at the parking lot, but higher up, from a place that is not easily accessible to handicapped guests of the park, and in spite of the image you linked to in your article, the photo opportunities at the parking lot have not been diminished, but have expanded incredibly. There are still trees up at the Old Inspiration Point that are comparable to the ones that were cut down, you can still frame that view with them.

Leave the parking lot to the folks that CAN'T climb up on top of the tunnel entrance, or up to Inspiration point.

Further, one of the trees that grew very close to the wall was diseased. Removing it will lessen the chance that the disease will spread. It was only one tree, though.

Finally, I'm going to pick a nit: 70 year old trees are NOT "old growth". They are at best "mature" trees. It's like calling a Formica and steel kitchen table an antique.

Now for some pictures:

View from Old Inspiration Point:
http://flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/7...

Images taken of Lee Stetson as John Muir above the parking lot, directly over the tunnel: http://flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/7...

Images taken from the parking lot and tunnel on the day the trees came down, including a snapshot of the sign about "restoration":
http://flickr.com/photos/ambitious_wench/sets/7...

Last but not least: Take a gander at the comments I got when I wrote about this over at Yosemiteblog.com: http://www.yosemiteblog.com/2008/03/13/big-chan...

I'm a perpetrator of the commercial exploitation of Yosemite because I work for the concessionaire. I'm not proud of that. I try to mitigate it by offering my images to the world as Creative Commons, offered for personal enjoyment and teaching without any cost. American tax dollars go into Yosemite, allow me to live here and share the beauty. In a larger sense, this place belongs to the entire world.

We cannot change the fact that the trees were cut. No amount of anger will restore them. What we must do now is make sure that NPS makes Tunnel View TRULY accessible; Demand curb cuts for wheel chairs, put in a toilet. That view with or without the trees is incredible, and it should be made as available as possible to all human beings.

By the way, this article from the Oakland Tribune in 2007 has more info about the project. You might be surprised to see that even Sierra Club supported it.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is...

Sounds like you will now have the opportunity for a lot of people's heads in the foreground. :-{ Amazing, I wonder how much public opinion was actually obtained? Almost as bad as say starting a fire in a classic landscape location.

Wow, they took out the foreground! There's still more to come too. They're going to build a larger viewing area that will jut out over where those stumps now are. The idea (in addition to what the ranger said about making it look like the old days) is to get pedestrians out of the parking area. That is, instead of crowding the sidewalk and milling in the parking area, people will easily fit on the viewing platform.