Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Monday, November 27, 2023

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Daily Report – Yosemite National Park

Monday, November 27, 2023

Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast

Today: Sunny. Highs 35 to 49. East winds 5 to 15 mph shifting to the southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Near steady temperature in the upper 20s. East winds up to 10 mph.

Tomorrow: Sunny. Highs 33 to 47. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon. Gusts up to 25 mph.

Additional Point Forecast Weather Links:

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NEW & HAPPENING TODAY

Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore Closure

Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at Big Oak Flat Station – Closed Monday 11/27. (K. Bouchard)

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Yosemite Holiday Craft Bazaar Friday December 1

Join all the holiday fun at the Yosemite Holiday Craft Bazaar FRIDAY DECEMBER 1. From 11am-6pm, enjoy over 40 local artist vendors, a tasty taco lunch, bake sale, huge raffle and incredible silent auction packages. This festive event is in the Seven Tents Pavillion at Curry Village and is a fundraiser for the Yosemite Childcare Centers. Learn more about the event and online silent auction components on our facebook page: Yosemite Holiday Craft Bazaar. See you there! (E. Kretsch)
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PG&E crew at Cascade Substation
PG&E crews and their contractors will be completing defensible space clearing around the Cascade Substation on Monday, November 27 through Wednesday, November 29. (N. Lekch)
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“Shakespeare in Yosemite” Meeting Saturday

Interested in acting? Singing? Dancing? Hanging out with great people? Come out to the Curry Village Amphitheater on Saturday, December 2nd, at 10AM to help plan Shakespeare in Yosemite 2024. Performances will be April 25-28, 2024. Be ready to read scenes from the play. If you are musical, prepare a short song to sing or play on your instrument.

Go to https://yosemiteshakes.ucmerced.edu or email marion_roubal@nps.gov for more information. Hope to see you there! (M. Roubal)
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Mariposa Grove Road hazardous fuels reduction
Crews will be removing fallen pines, firs, and cedars (no fallen sequoias) along the Mariposa Grove Road between the grizzly giant parking lot and the bus shuttle lot in the lower grove. This work supports future prescribed burns and reduces hazardous fuel loading from the January 2021 Mono wind event that blew down thousands of trees in the grove and Wawona area, including 28 mature giant sequoias. Please watch for workers. If you have any questions, contact garrett_dickman@nps.gov (G. Dickman)

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Reminder: Yosemite Mentoring Program applications due Friday!

The Yosemite Mentoring Program provides valuable opportunities for setting and achieving goals through a year-long facilitated mentoring relationship. Participants will attend monthly professional development sessions from January 2024 through fall 2024.

The Yosemite Mentor Program is now available to all employees with supervisor approval. Is your season ending soon? Include your personal email address in your application – if you’re committed to continuing to build your networks and professional skills during your off-season, we’d love to include you in the cohort.

Applications are due THIS FRIDAY, December 1. (T. Plock)
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Rental Available
Upstairs studio apartment in a quiet Bootjack neighborhood. 10 minutes from Mariposa. 510 sq.ft. Furnished open concept plan. Full Kitchen. Bath with shower/tub. Queen bed. Walk in closet, plus storage closet. Rent includes Utilities, Trash pickup and WI-Fi. $900./mo. Plus $900. security deposit. One person only. No smoking, no pets. Taking applications. Not a vacation rental, looking for long term tenant. Email nassar@sti.net (D. Nassar)
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Clinic Hours
Nov 27 NO urgent care. Limited scheduled primary care TELEHEALTH by Dr. Irwin-Warren, RN provided care & walk-in free flu shot.
Nov 28 – 29 CLOSED for staff X-ray training
Nov 30 NO urgent care. Limited scheduled primary care TELEHEALTH by Dr. Irwin-Warren, RN provided care & walk-in free flu shot.
Dec 1 Free Flu Clinic only 9am – 12pm & 1- 3:30pm. (S. Webb)

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ONGOING PROJECTS

Wawona Road Hazardous Fuel Removal
Tribal crews and contractors are removing hazardous fuels along Wawona Road from the South Entrance to the park boundary at Mt. Raymond Road. Removing hazardous fuels in the form of small trees and previously downed logs will support fire fighters to implement an interagency prescribed fire that will ultimately lead to better protection of the Mariposa Grove and the communities of Fish Camp and Wawona from high severity fires. Delays up to 15 minutes may be expected. Please slow down and watch for workers along the road. Contact garrett_dickman@nps.gov with any questions. (G. Dickman)
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The Merced Grove is Closed for Restoration

Giant sequoias are adapted to frequent, low-intensity fire and depend on fire for reproduction. Frequent fires reduce fire intensity by thinning the forest of small and unhealthy trees and reducing the accumulation of dead branches and trees. But over the past century, fires were suppressed, and drought and insects killed millions of trees in Yosemite. In the Merced Grove, there is limited sequoia regeneration and fuel loading has increased to dangerous levels. Currently, we cannot safely introduce fire without first mechanically removing fuels first. Since 2020, wildfires have killed almost 20% of mature giant sequoias across their range due to extreme fuel loading, and we aim to prevent that outcome in the Merced Grove. Therefore, we are removing small diameter conifers, trees posing a hazard to firefighters and containment lines, and dead and downed wood to reduce wildfire risk to the sequoias and firefighters as preparation for the first prescribed fire in and around the grove. The grove will be closed for 2.5 months during the restoration for visitor and worker safety. Please contact garrett_dickman@nps.gov with questions or for access. (G. Dickman)

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Dispatch Expansion Project

The Dispatch Expansion project is converting most of the El Portal Warehouse lobby into office space for the Emergency Communications (Dispatch) Center. The lobby elevator is off-limits except in case of emergency. The lobby stairs are still blocked off and the rest of the lobby area is closed unless you are involved with the project. Warehouse occupants and visitors need to use alternate means of ingress/egress until the re-construction of the stairs is finished. Do not enter through the RMS building unless you work there. To access the Dispatch office area, follow the signs in through the Trails area door just inside the fence/gate. Apologies for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Contact Nicole Belle Isle, Project Manager, for more information. (N. Belle Isle)

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Y8 Fuel Station Down
The Y8 gas station is currently down. For gas needs in the meantime, please call the garage from 8 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week at 209-372-1060 to schedule a fill until further notice. We’ll update when the station is back up and running. (C. Layman)

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Valley Shuttle Construction Impacts

Valley Shuttle stops 19, 4 and 2 are out of service due to construction. (C. Layman)