Campsite Concerns among 10,500 Comments on Yosemite Plan by Mike Conway Modesto Bee - July 12, 2000 YOSEMITE -- The draft Yosemite Valley Plan drew more than 10,500 comments from throughout the state and around the globe by the time the comment period closed Friday. According to park Superintendent Dave Mihalic, comments included concerns about the number of campsites and Housekeeping Camp units in the valley, parking changes, traffic patterns, habitat restoration and the effects on air quality from proposed increased use of shuttle buses. The National Park Service is developing a plan for Yosemite Valley that would balance reduced traffic congestion and natural resources preservation with visitor understanding and enjoyment. A number of groups have criticized the plan, ranging from the Sierra Club, which fears overdevelopment, to the Service Employees International Union, which represents park workers and is concerned with proposals to close the medical clinic and cut back on low-cost lodging. The park service had open houses and public hearings in 14 locations in California and held hearings in Seattle, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Jay Watson, regional director of The Wilderness Society, said: "I have to congratulate the park service for a really accessible and meaningful public involvement process. They had everything from open houses, hearings, on-the- ground walk-throughs, face-to-face conversations. I think it bodes very well for the final plan." The number of responses to the Yosemite Valley Plan was impressive. The recently completed Merced River Plan also went through a public comment phase, and drew 2,320 responses, said Marc Stevens, a media relations officer for the park service. Watson said The Wilderness Society banded with seven other environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Yosemite Restoration Trust, to comment on the plan. Their chief concern was the lack of a timetable and benchmarks for phasing in the changes in the park. Too much is left to the discretion of the park service, he said. "We want to make sure the plan will actually be put into place and not just sit on a shelf," Watson said. Public comments will be used in revising the draft plan, Mihalic said. The final version of the plan is due to be released in late fall.