Category Archives: California

Activities, National Parks

Half Dome Cables Day Use Permits Available for Reservation Starting March 1 2014

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Permits Required Seven Days Per Week to Hike Half Dome Cables 

Half Dome cables day use permits for the 2014 hiking season will be available for reservation starting tomorrow, Saturday, March 1, through Monday, March 31, 2014. Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required seven days per week and reservations will be distributed via a lottery system. Successful parties will be notified in mid-April. A maximum of 300 hikers will be allowed on the Half Dome cables per day.

Reservations for the permits can be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

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News

Happy Birthday Ansel Adams!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Shamelessly borrowed from Wikipedia:

Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American photographer and conservationist. His black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, have been widely reproduced on calendars, posters, and in books.

“Once destroyed, nature’s beauty cannot be repurchased at any price.” – Ansel Adams

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News

Ethanol production continues to drain California’s water resources during drought

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a scientist.  I’m just a guy who believes in conservation and making California the best it can be.  Now that we’re three years into below-average rainfall in California and even the sluggish state government has decided that we’re in a drought, it’s time to look at ways to conserve water.  It’s something we should have been doing for years, but … well, we’ve been too busy trying to decide what marriage is while we’re riding on the high speed rail train to bankruptcy.

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National Parks

John Muir NHS Celebrates California Arbor Week

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Special Presentation Kicks Off Seasonal Speaker Series 

Celebrate California Arbor Week by attending a special presentation by guest speakers Timmy Womick and Chad Brey of TreeCircus on Sunday, March 9, at 1 PM at the John Muir National Historic Site (NHS) in Martinez, CA. Womick and Brey’s hour-long program, “What Did John Muir Teach Us?”, is the first in a series of presentations by guest speakers exploring John Muir’s modern legacy. The series will continue throughout the spring and summer with special events on select weekends (Separate press releases will follow). Continue reading →

National Parks

Merced Wild and Scenic River Final Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement has been released

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Comprehensive Management Plan will provide access and protect Merced River resources

Yosemite National Park announces the release of the Merced Wild and Scenic River Final Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

“This plan will protect the Merced River and its outstandingly remarkable values into perpetuity and provide quality visitor facilities and access,” stated Don Neubacher, Yosemite Superintendent. “The planning process has been a monumental effort and we appreciate all the public input we have received. We now want to move forward with actions in the Plan that are critical to the preservation and enjoyment of this iconic national treasure.”

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