A year and a half ago, I started my job at CSERC as the staff Biologist. I have really enjoyed my time here and have learned so much about our forests and wildlife and how to better protect them as I move through my career. When reflecting on my time here at CSERC, I have […]
The Illilouette Creek Basin is a landscape shaped by fire as much as the Valley was by ice. This forest pocket surrounded by granite outcrops allows fire to be naturally contained without concern of spreading outside of the basin. In the 1800s, fires were viewed as damaging to the environment, so fire management turned to […]
Did you know that National Forests have special research areas called experimental forests? Experimental forests are areas designated for research purposes. The Stanislaus National Forest has a 250-acre experimental forest where researchers study the ecology of forests to better understand how different forest management practices affect forest resilience and health. Before fire suppression, western forests […]
A final environmental impact statement and three draft decisions were released last Friday by the U.S. Forest Service for the Forest’s largest green forest project in its 124-year history! This project will be reducing fire threats North of Highway 108 on Forest Service lands from Columbia to upstream of Beardsley Reservoir. The Social and Ecological […]
Yosemite National Park has a lot going on this summer! It can be confusing and overwhelming to keep up with all that’s happening in the Park, so here is a cheat sheet to help you learn what is planned – and how it may affect a visit this summer: 1. Construction The Tioga Road Rehabilitation […]
Yosemite National Park is piloting a new lottery system for North Pines Campground reservations for July 21 through September 14, 2022. Successful lottery applicants will have an opportunity to make a reservation for campsites in North Pines Campground during an early access period. The early access period will occur before the usual on-sale dates, and the remaining […]
The SERAL project proposal is now open for public comment, and CSERC staff will be providing highly detailed input to the Forest Service. The SERAL project is a large forest health project that is intended to increase forest resiliency and decrease wildfire risk to our community. This project is located north of Highway 108 and […]
This news article shares the various benefits the reservation system had on Yosemite National Park this year. Visitors expressed how much better their visit was without long hours of traffic, lines for restaurants and bathrooms, congested trails, and competing for the same viewpoints and photographs. The reservation system decreased park visitation by about 60%, returning […]
Three of Yosemite’s campgrounds — Tuolumne Meadows, Bridalveil Creek and Crane Flat — will be closed as they undergo extensive renovations. There will be no camping available at all three sites during the closures. Tuolumne Meadows will see the longest closure, as the National Park Service says that it will be shuttered until 2024, […]
Fire crews are working on prescribed burns in Yosemite Valley through the first week in November. Burns will be taking place south of Southside Drive near the El Capitan Crossover and between Southside Drive and the Four Mile trailhead. Therefore, the Valley Loop Trail will be closed from the Four Mile trailhead to the […]