August 23, 2023 - Yosemite National Park officials report on how they are dealing with lodgepole pine establishing populations in the meadow areas.

Tuolumne Meadows, one of the largest subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada, has drawn visitors for generations with its expansive views of the meandering Tuolumne River, glacially carved domes, and rugged mountain peaks.

Due to changing climatic conditions and human disturbances, lodgepole pine has been able to establish populations in the meadow, which is slowly converting more and more of the meadow into forest. As a result, scenic vistas across Tuolumne Meadows have been obscured, and the many benefits meadows provide, including biodiversity, flood attenuation, and water quality and storage, are facing threat.

Since the 1930s, Yosemite has maintained Tuolumne Meadows by periodically removing lodgepole pine trees. We continue that tradition today with the support of Yosemite Conservancy, California Conservation Corps, tribal crews, and volunteers. Seedlings and saplings are cut, then piled, chipped, or scattered to decompose.

Please help us preserve and protect the fragile ecosystem of Tuolumne Meadows by staying on designated trails and not trampling meadow vegetation.