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More than 4,000,000 people visited Yosemite Park last year because of the spectacular scenery, the diverse wildlife, and the many impressive waterfalls and rivers. But despite the obvious beauty of this world-renowned destination, Yosemite faces many threats and challenges.
CSERC is the lead local organization working to protect the greater Yosemite ecosystem. The Center’s staff attends Park hearings, submits detailed comments on projects, and does fieldwork and research to monitor wildlife and wild places in the Park.
Here are key areas where CSERC makes a difference for Yosemite:
Wildlife
CSERC has provided hundreds of hours of staff time and expensive research equipment to cooperate with Yosemite Park biologists in research studies looking for rare wildlife species in Yosemite. CSERC’s wildlife photo-stations outside the Park also show where elusive wildlife still lingers in less protected habitat.
Projects & Policies
CSERC staff is often the only informed voice for the environment at public meetings held by Yosemite Park officials to get comments on proposed projects and policies. By doing their homework, CSERC representatives help to influence Park decisions.
Watchdog Monitoring
Watchdog monitoring is essential for all of our public lands, and Yosemite is no exception. CSERC visits Park destinations during both the quiet season and the busy summer period in order to identify areas with congestion, disturbance of wildlife, or other threats to nature in the Park. In the current planning processes for the Merced River and Tuolumne River, Park officials face the challenge of managing “use” in Yosemite so that tourism and commercialism does not cause significant harm to outstanding values.
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