| Table of Contents | Alternative 3 | Alternative 4 | Alternative 5 | Commitments of Resources | Uses/Productivity |
| Short-Long Term | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Bibliography | Glossary | Acronyms/Abbreviations | Index |

This chapter describes the history of public involvement leading up to and during development of the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. Public participation in the planning process helps to ensure that the National Park Service fully understands and considers the public’s interest. Through public involvement, the National Park Service shared information about the planning process, issues, and proposed actions. In turn, the planning teams were informed of the concerns and values of those groups and individuals who participated in the process. Also as part of public involvement and in compliance with laws and regulations, management agencies and other public constituencies were consulted. Chapter 5 describes these consultations and their results. With the help of the public’s involvement, the National Park Service is able to make better informed decisions and improved plans.

Public and agency participation throughout the planning process allowed the planning team to:

• Analyze and incorporate comments from previous planning efforts

• Collect scoping comments to help define the range of issues to be addressed

• Provide opportunities for the public to obtain the knowledge necessary to make informed comments

• Collect public, American Indian, and agency comments on the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS

• Consult with other management agencies

• Produce the best possible plan

Public and agency participation in the planning process will not end with the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, but will continue throughout the design and implementation phases of the plan.

The purpose of scoping is to identify issues and concerns related to the planning process and to determine the range of issues that will be addressed in the environmental analysis. Typically, scoping occurs at the beginning of a planning process. In the case of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, however, scoping has been taking place since 1991 as part of previous planning efforts for the 1992 Draft Yosemite Valley Housing Plan/SEIS and its 1996 Addendum, the 1997 Draft Yosemite Valley Implementation Plan/SEIS, and the 1997 Yosemite Lodge Development Concept Plan/Environmental Assessment, the related Finding of No Significant Impact, and its 1998 modified version. Each of these planning efforts had its own scoping and public comment period. As part of the scoping process for the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, public comments from these previous efforts were reanalyzed; relevant issues were included as were concerns raised since 1991.

The National Park Service received approximately 1,400 public comment letters in response to the 1992 Draft Yosemite Valley Housing Plan/SEIS. This plan proposed to move most employee housing and National Park Service and concession headquarters to Foresta. As a result of public comment, an Addendum to the Draft Yosemite Valley Housing Plan/SEIS was released in December of 1996. The 1996 addendum described a newly proposed alternative that shifted the majority of housing and administrative headquarters to El Portal, as originally called for in the 1980 General Management Plan. A total of 195 comments in reference to the 1996 addendum were received.

The National Park Service received 3,853 comment letters in response to the 1997 Draft Yosemite Valley Implementation Plan/SEIS. The 1999 Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS incorporated many ideas, suggestions, and concerns gained from the public’s involvement in the 1997 draft implementation plan. In response to the 1997 Yosemite Lodge Development Concept Plan/EA/FONSI, the National Park Service received 391 comments.

The formal public scoping period for the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS began with a Federal Register notice on December 16, 1998, that described the intent of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS and solicited comments from the public through January 15, 1999. Based on requests from the public, the formal scoping period was extended through February 1, 1999. The Federal Register notice, in addition to announcing the formal scoping period, stated that all comments associated with previous planning efforts would be "duly reconsidered" in the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS planning process.

A total of 598 scoping comment letters were received during the formal scoping period. Initially, a team of park staff evaluated the scoping comments and prepared a summary report (NPS 1999). Later, these comments were included in the comprehensive reanalysis, which included all previous comments from associated planning efforts.

Because the comments from previous plans were originally analyzed in diverse contexts using different methods, they were reanalyzed using a common methodology developed by the U.S. Forest Service’s Content Analysis Enterprise Team (CAET). The Content Analysis Enterprise Team used the same methodology to read and analyze all letters, emails, and faxes received during the formal scoping period for the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS.

In the reanalysis of previous comments, 6,468 letters, emails, and faxes were read and analyzed by the Content Analysis Enterprise Team. These responses contained 23,768 individual comments that were coded, categorized, and entered into the content analysis database. This analysis, Summary of Public Comment, Yosemite Valley Planning, 1992-1999 (USFS 1999), was a key tool used to ensure that public comments were addressed in the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. Concern statements raised through the public comment process and the park’s response to those concern statements were included as Volume III of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. The reanalysis of public comments from previous Yosemite Valley planning efforts has not been published as part of the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS.

THE DRAFT YOSEMITE VALLEY PLAN/SEIS

In a press release dated March 27, 2000, the National Park Service announced the availability of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS for public review. The period of public review ran from April 7 through July 5, 2000. The official notice of the National Park Service’s public release of the plan was published in the Federal Register on April 13, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 72, page 19,923). This notice stated that the public comment period would run from April 7 through July 7, 2000, a period of 92 days. Throughout the public comment period, the National Park Service was actively advertising that public comments would be accepted through July 7. This advertising effort included a notice on the Yosemite National Park web site, statements in press releases for public meetings, information sheets handed out to the public, and announcements at all related, National Park Service public meetings and presentations.

On Friday, April 14, 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published their weekly summary announcement of environmental impact statements officially filed and available for public review (Federal Register Vol. 65, No. 73, page 20,155). The official EPA announcement listed the "due" date for comment as July 14, 2000. Unfortunately, because Yosemite planners expected the EPA notice to mirror the National Park Service notice, this discrepancy was not discovered until mid-August. Thus, the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS public comment period was technically a period of over 90 days, from April 14 through July 14, 2000. No extension of the comment period was made.

In an effort to reconcile the official review period set by the EPA Federal Register notice and the National Park Service’s originally advertised 92-day comment period beginning April 7 and running through July 7, all comments received, or having a postmark dating, from March 28 through July 14, 2000, were analyzed and used in formulating the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS.

The letters of public comment received by July 7 were read and analyzed by the U.S. Forest Service Content Analysis Enterprise Team (CAET) and National Park Service staff. The results were forwarded to Yosemite National Park in a series of interim reports throughout the comment period and in CAET’s final report, Summary of Public Comment, Yosemite Valley Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (USFS 2000c). These reports were used to develop the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. The process of analyzing and using public comments is described in more detail in Volume III of this document.

The letters received between July 7 and July 14 were read and analyzed by National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service CAET staff the week of August 14; five new public concerns were identified. The CAET staff subsequently produced an additional report, Addendum, Summary of Public Comment, Yosemite Valley Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement, that is incorporated into their earlier summary report as Appendix I (USFS 2000c).

During the public comment period, the National Park Service held 14 public meetings throughout California. These meetings consisted of an open house where the public could view displays, interact with park staff, and attend a formal public hearing on the plan. Approximately 1,500 people attended these public meetings. Written comments were formally received at these meetings, and 365 people testified during the public hearings and their statements were recorded by a court reporter. The National Park Service also held public meetings in Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; and Washington, D.C. Over 100 individuals attended these meetings.

COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT YOSEMITE VALLEY
PLAN/SEIS

During the public comment period, approximately 10,200 comment letters, postcards, e-mails, faxes, comment forms, and public hearing testimonies were received on the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. These comments were read and analyzed by a joint U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service team and then were distilled into 867 distinct public concern statements (see Vol. III, Public Comments and Responses, for a complete description of the comment analysis process).

INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS AND PUBLIC OUTREACH

In addition to the public scoping process and the public meetings and hearings conducted for the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, the National Park Service has continued to conduct numerous other public involvement activities related to the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. These include the mailing of periodic planning updates, presenting regularly scheduled open houses in the park, developing and displaying wayside exhibits in the park, conducting ranger-led walks, and meeting with a number of interested and affected groups.

The park produces a periodic four- to eight-page Planning Update newsletter that is mailed to the addresses on its extensive mailing list. Each Planning Update provides the current status of ongoing planning activities within the park, including information and notices concerning the Draft and Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. Between January 1999 and August 2000, five Planning Updates were mailed to between 5,000 and 11,000 individuals, organizations, and agencies.

To provide visitors in the park an opportunity to learn more about the alternatives being considered in the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS and an opportunity to comment, open house sessions were held at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center from Wednesdays through Sundays throughout the comment period. The open houses were staffed by park employees familiar with the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS and stocked with exhibits, maps, copies of the document, and comment forms. Over 1,650 people attended a total of 63 open houses. Hundreds of individuals submitted written comments while attending these open houses.

A special four-page insert covering the planning process was prepared for the Yosemite Guide, the park’s informational newspaper. The newspaper described the planning process and informed visitors on how they could get involved. Over 380,000 copies of the Yosemite Guide with the special insert were distributed to park visitors during the public comment period.

A series of regularly scheduled ranger-led walks were held on weekends from April 15, 2000, through the end of the comment period. These hour-long walks provided an opportunity for the public to get a first-hand look at many of the key areas that could be affected by the actions proposed in the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. The walks also enabled visitors to discuss issues with other members of the public and park staff. In all, 264 people attended 26 walks.

The National Park Service installed 10 interpretive wayside exhibits in key areas in the Valley. Areas selected were those that could be affected by actions included in the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, including Camp 4 (Sunnyside Campground), Lower Yosemite Falls, the concession stable, and Curry Village. The signs informed visitors of the potential changes that could occur at each location, and guided visitors to areas where they could receive more information.

The National Park Service maintains a web site (nps.gov/yose/planning.htm) which contains a wide range of information about planning activities and updates on issues related to the development of the Draft and Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, as well as the full text of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS.

From the onset of planning for the 1992 Draft Yosemite Valley Housing Plan/SEIS, park staff members have met informally and consulted with a diverse group of organizations. Between December 1998 and July 2000, the National Park Service conducted informational meetings with the following groups:

AGENCY AND AMERICAN INDIAN CONSULTATION AND
COORDINATION

Comment letters from federal and state agencies and American Indian tribes are published in Vol. III, Summary of Public Comments and Responses, Chapter 9.

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and California State Historic Preservation Officer

The 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended in 1992, requires federal agencies to consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) regarding undertakings that may affect historic properties. The National Park Service has consulted with the California SHPO and the ACHP in development of the Draft Yosemite Valley Implementation Plan/SEIS, the Draft Yosemite Valley Housing Plan/SEIS, the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, and other subordinate plans such as the Yosemite Lodge Redesign Project and the El Portal Road Improvement Project (NPS). Several meetings were held to discuss specific aspects of these proposed undertakings as well as the Yosemite Programmatic Agreement for compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. This Programmatic Agreement addresses individual undertakings proposed in the Draft and Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS. Although consultations were frequent and at times informal, the following meetings were held:

American Indian Consultation

As part of the development of the Draft and Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, the National Park Service consulted with the following park-associated federally recognized tribes and nonfederally recognized American Indian communities who refer to themselves as "tribes": the American Indian Council of Mariposa County, Inc.; the North Fork Mono Rancheria; the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians; the Chukchansi Tribal Government; the Mono Lake Indian Community; the Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony; and the Bishop Paiute Tribal Council. These consultations have been ongoing throughout the planning process for the Draft Yosemite Valley Housing Plan/SEIS and the Draft Yosemite Valley Implementation Plan/SEIS, and will continue through the design and implementation phases for activities taking place under the Yosemite Valley Plan. At present, the National Park Service is consulting with seven American Indian tribes and groups regarding issues such as access for traditional use, gathering of traditional materials, protection and mitigation of impacts to traditional cultural resources, and preservation and management of important cultural places.

The following meetings have taken place between July 1995 and July 2000:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 USC 1531 et seq.) requires all federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out by the agency does not jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or critical habitat.

The National Park Service requested a list of federally listed endangered and threatened species that may be present or affected by actions proposed in the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS in March 2000. The species list was received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on March 29, 2000 and is included in the Biological Assessment (Appendix K).

A Biological Assessment on the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS was submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on May 11, 2000. At this time, the National Park Service requested that formal consultation be initiated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In June of 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requested more information on elderberry plants, which serve as habitat for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a federally listed species. This information was submitted on July 5, 2000, along with a revised Biological Assessment on the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS, which reflected the new information.

In August of 2000, a Biological Assessment on the Final Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS was submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Park Service met with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Yosemite on August 30, 2000. Mitigation and compensation measures for potential impacts on the Valley elderberry longhorn beetle were discussed and potential development and restoration sites were visited. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepared a Biological Opinion in September 2000 (see Vol. II, Appendix L) based on the Biological Assessment (see Vol. II, Appendix K).

Environmental Protection Agency

The National Park Service consulted with the Environmental Protection Agency on a periodic basis during development of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS and solicited formal comments during review of the published document. Key issues identified by the Environmental Protection Agency in their comments on the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS include:

• Air quality impacts (specifically clean fuels, transit, and fleet maintenance)

• Pollution prevention and materials reuse

• Sustainability principles

Consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency is ongoing throughout the design and implementation phases of the Yosemite Valley Plan.

U.S. Geological Survey

The expertise of the U.S. Geological Survey was used to evaluate geological hazards within portions of the planning area. The U.S. Geological Survey published reports that document rockfall and debris flow characteristics. This information was used in the plan as a development consideration.

National Park Service Water Resources Division

Executive Orders 11988 Floodplain Management and 11990 Protection of Wetlands consultation on direct federal agencies to enhance floodplain and wetland values, to avoid development in wetlands and floodplains whenever there is a practicable alternative, and to avoid impacts associated with the occupancy or modification of floodplains or wetlands to the extent possible. Communication and site visits with the National Park Service Water Resources Division have taken place on a regular basis to ensure that the National Park Service is meeting all obligations under these Executive Orders and to oversee wetland delineation.

Foresta Preservation Association

The National Park Service has an obligation to formally advise the Foresta Preservation Association of actions concerning Foresta residents, as stipulated by Civil Action 92-5617-OOW (Benson v. USA, et al.). To meet this obligation, Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS documents, planning updates, and information sheets were distributed directly to the association, via its president. Additionally, National Park Service staff met directly with Foresta residents to inform and advise them on the elements, contents, and status of the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan/SEIS.

| Alternative 3 | Alternative 4 | Alternative 5 | Commitments of Resources | Uses/Productivity |
| Short-Long Term | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Bibliography | Glossary | Acronyms/Abbreviations | Index |

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