New plan for Merced River in Yosemite Park

The Fresno Bee

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK -- A decade of litigation over the Merced River in Yosemite National Park ended Wednesday when the federal government agreed to completely rewrite a key management plan for the river.

Under the agreement -- which was filed in U.S. District Court in Fresno -- the National Park Service will start from square one, creating a new plan for managing the Merced River by the end of 2012.

In addition, the park service will kill a controversial Yosemite Valley Plan that outlined planned improvements after a large Merced River flood caused extensive damage on the valley floor.

That plan called for adding more cabins at Curry Village, replacing campgrounds lost in the flood, as well as rooms at the Yosemite Lodge.

"Square one," said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.

In a statement, Julia Olson -- the attorney who represented plaintiffs Friends of Yosemite Valley and Mariposans for the Environment and Responsible Government, said: "We agreed to this settlement to establish a new process and focus, ideally leading to a positive and protective management plan for Yosemite's Merced River. We are hopeful that the new Merced plan will be focused on protection, putting the river and its values first."

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