Skift Take
Should Yosemite National Park resemble a natural wonder or gridlock in Manhattan? Those are the stakes in the debate over the plan to restore the natural flow of the Merced River.
The majestic landscrape of Yosemite National Park -- carved out of granite and shaped by powerful natural forces over the eons -- is timeless and untouchable.
Other attractions in the park ... not so much.
Some of Yosemite's much-loved amenities, including swimming pools, bike, horse and raft rentals, and an ice skating rink, would be jettisoned under a plan to restore the Merced River corridor to a more natural state.
The Merced Wild and Scenic River Plan would reconfigure much of the Yosemite Valley by removing or relocating familiar concessions. Park officials also hope to reduce traffic that often transforms the heart of Yosemite from natural wonder to parking lot.
The National Park Service's proposal, which would cost $235 million over the next 15 years, seeks to balance the twin aims of improving infrastructure and preserving nature. The plan would restore more than 200 acres of meadows, install boardwalks and new trails, reroute automobile traffic, create a pedestrian underpass at Yosemite Falls and increase the number of camping sites, hotel rooms and parking spots.
But, unlike much o
