Yosemite National Park
Sierra Sun Times file photo

The park is soliciting public comments through August 25, 2020

July 20, 2020 - Yosemite National Park announces the opening of civic engagement for the Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project.

Ackerson Meadow is the largest mid-elevation meadow complex in Yosemite National Park. Currently, a large unnatural erosion gully, up to 14 feet deep and 100 feet wide, is actively draining 90 acres of former wetlands in the meadow and threatening an additional 100 acres of wet meadow habitat. Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National Forest are jointly proposing actions to reduce erosion and restore wetland functionality at Ackerson and South Ackerson Meadows.

The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service are considering options for restoration methods to restore the meadow topography, hydrology, and vegetation ranging from completely filling the erosion gullies to using passive techniques to capture sediment.

Yosemite is hosting an online public webinar on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm PDT to share more about the Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions. The link to register and watch the webinar is available at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ackerson.

Public participation is an important element of the planning process and we welcome your comments. Please submit comments through August 25, 2020 using the following link: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ackerson.

All information related to the Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project, including a project fact sheet, is available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ackerson. The August 5 webinar will also be recorded and will be shared via this link as well.

Public participation is an important element of the planning process and we welcome your ideas, concerns, issues, and suggestions for consideration. The National Park Service expects to initiate a formal environmental assessment process for the Ackerson Meadow Restoration project toward the end of 2020.