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Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Friday, June 22nd, 2018
Today: Sunny. Highs 87 to 92 at 5000 feet…72 to 78 at 8000 feet.
Tonight: Clear. Lows 54 to 64 at 5000 feet…47 to 55 at 8000 feet.
Tomorrow: Sunny. Highs 89 to 94 at 5000 feet…73 to 79 at 8000 feet.
Additional Point Forecast Weather Links:
Yosemite Valley | Wawona | Tuolumne Meadows | Glacier Point | Big Oak Flat | Hetch Hetchy | El Portal | Mariposa | Badger Pass
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NEW AND HAPPENING TODAY
Barry Hance Award Nominations Due Today
All NPS employees are eligible to nominate someone – you could be the one who submits the application for this year’s winner! To nominate someone you must complete the Barry Hance Award nomination form, complete a DI-451 award form, and have the nominee’s supervisor approve and sign the nomination form (email yose_superintendent@nps.gov to get the forms if you don’t already have them). Send the completed package in a blue “special attention mail” envelope labeled “Barry Hance Award Nomination” to Alan Kunz and/or Renee Madrid at the Superintendent’s Office in the Valley. (A. Kunz)
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Last RT-130 Fire Refresher Today
Friday, June 22nd will be the last opportunity to take the RT-130 fire refresher for the 2018 fire season. Class will be held in the Valley Auditorium starting at 0900 and ending around 1600.
Here are a few reminders:
Last day to submit a red card application is Saturday June 30th.
You must be medically cleared to take the pack test. If you’re not sure, please talk to your supervisor before contacting one of the engine captains to set up a pack test.
If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact Russell Mitchell either by email at russell_mitchell@nps.gov or by cell phone at 626-9903.
(R. Mitchell)
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PSAR Message
With hot temperatures predicted for the weekend ahead, here’s a message from Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR):
Rivers and creeks are tempting places to cool down. Near moving water, always look downstream for hazards such as strong currents, cascades, waterfalls, and logjams, and do not enter the water, even to wade, if you see such hazards. The park’s moving water is cold – it was snow not long ago – and can be a shock to your body.
Start hiking in the cool of the morning and bring plenty of water and salty snacks to stay hydrated and replace lost electrolytes. Most SAR incidents occur when people are hiking back downhill, during the second half of their hike. Remember to rest in the shade frequently.
A reminder for those who plan to go rafting or boating in Yosemite: children 12 and under are required to wear PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices), and PFDs are required to be in a raft/boat for all ages. (J. Marschall)
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RECENT NEWS
Yosemite GIS User Group June 28
Do you use GIS in your job? A meeting for GIS users is scheduled for Thursday, June 28th at 10am in the El Portal Large Breakroom. Any and all park employees interested in GIS are invited to come and learn more about Yosemite’s GIS program and participate in discussions about mobile data collection and more. Contact Elizabeth Hale at elizabeth_hale@nps.gov or 379-1307 if you have questions.
Yosemite GIS SharePoint page: http://sharepoint.yose.nps.gov/reso/gis/SitePages/Home.aspx (E. Hale)
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Yosemite National Park Offers Electronic Park Entrance Passes Beginning On June 21, 2018 – Yosemite News Release June 20, 2018
YourPassNow offers visitors new digital access to America’s public lands
Yosemite National Park announces the opportunity for park visitors to purchase their park entrance passes electronically through YourPassNow beginning on Thursday, June 21st, 2018. Once visitors purchase and save their digital pass to their cell phone, or print and bring their purchased pass with them, Rangers will scan their pass at the entrance station. This convenient new service will give visitors the choice of purchasing a park pass in advance, or purchasing a pass in person at the park entrance station. This option is already available to visitors at several National Park Service sites across the country.
“We are pleased to offer this opportunity for visitors to purchase park passes at home or on their mobile devices,” stated Yosemite National Park Superintendent Michael Reynolds. “This exciting technology provides visitors with the option for buying their park entrance passes in advance while on the road or from home.”
YourPassNow provides an alternative to the traditional paper-based, in-person purchase method while simultaneously providing public lands with a tool to help manage the visitor experience. Using a computer or a personal device, visitors can purchase park entrance passes from yourpassnow.com at no additional cost. Once purchased, passes can be downloaded or stored to an electronic wallet for immediate and future use. Passes are also emailed for those that want to print their pass.
The following passes will be available on www.YourPassNow.com:
Private Vehicle ($35, valid one to seven days)
Motorcycle ($30, valid one to seven days)
Individual/Bicycle ($20, valid one to seven days)
Yosemite Annual Pass ($70 valid for one year from month of purchase)
It is NIC’s sincere pleasure to partner with Yosemite to offer visitors a new way to conveniently purchase park entrance passes,” said Robert Knapp, NIC Chief Operating Officer. “By offering a digital park pass, YourPassNow is helping enhance the visitor experience at one of our nation’s most treasured outdoor parks.”
Yosemite joins the following public lands currently providing electronic passes and permits through YourPassNow: Acadia, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Theodore Roosevelt, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Yellowstone National Parks; Castillo de San Marcos and Colorado National Monuments; Whiskeytown National Recreation Area; Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area; Wayne National Forest; and the Bureau of Land Management’s Lake Havasu Field Office. (J. Richards)
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Sue Beatty Retirement Dinner June 28
Sue Beatty,The Yosemite Giant of Ecological restoration, is retiring! Join in to show Sue your appreciation of her 30+ years of service in making Yosemite a better place. Email mitzi_thornley@nps.gov if you want to be added to the agenda to honor Sue with stories or words of appreciation.
The Mexican themed potluck dinner will be held Thursday, June 28th from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal. (M. Thornley)
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Yosemite Gateway Partners Summer 2018 Quarterly Meeting
The Yosemite Gateway Partners Summer 2018 Quarterly Meeting is now open for registration: Thursday, July 12th in Yosemite National Park. The meeting will be held in the Cliff Falls Room at Yosemite Valley Lodge from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM; the meeting will be preceded by a one-hour networking opportunity beginning at 9:00 AM.
The Yosemite Gateway Partners (YGP) is a closely-cooperative association of the National Park Service, Yosemite National Park’s Concessionaire Yosemite Hospitality (a division of Aramark) and Yosemite’s many gateway communities.
The July 12th Quarterly Meeting’s morning session (10:00 AM to 12 noon) will offer presentations from Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR), as well as a fascinating opportunity to hear first-hand from George Whitmore – the legendary member of the three-climber party that made the first ascent of El Capitan in 1958. Yosemite Climbing Association President Ken Yager will also speak, and after a no-host (advance reservation) lunch catered by Yosemite Hospitality, the floor will be turned over at 1:00 PM to Yosemite National Park Superintendent Michael Reynolds and staff, for an up-to-date, up-close-and-personal 90-minute interactive report on the latest information from Yosemite National Park.
Now in its 15th year of existence and its 9th year as an incorporated non-profit, YGP is a partnership of government agencies, non-profit organizations, tribes, individuals and businesses that acknowledge the interdependence of Yosemite National Park and the surrounding communities, and collaborate on and address issues of regional importance to create sustainable cultural, natural and economic prosperity. Governed by an 11-member Board of Directors, YGP also serves as an information and communications clearinghouse to insure effective information exchange between the park and its partners, as well as between the gateway communities and counties surrounding Yosemite National Park.
The Yosemite Gateway Partners Quarterly Meetings are free and open to the public, but advance reservations for the July 12th meeting are required by Monday, July 9. The non-mandatory $25 lunch option may be selected at the time of reservation.
To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/YGPSummer2018
To learn more about the organization, visit http://www.yosemitegatewaypartners.org (L. Marsden)
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Room for Rent in Beautiful Midpines A-Frame Home
Room for rent in Midpines starting mid July ($425/month). House has wrap around porch, large driveway, beautiful view of the foothills. Backyard space for gardening. Bedroom shares 1 bathroom with, but mostly has to themselves. Other house amenities: washer on site, sink disposal, swamp cooler. Roommates have HBO go and Netflix for sharing use 🙂 Utilities are internet and electric that average $70 pp a month (with 3 people). E-mail anna.puchkoff for pictures and more details! (A. Puchkoff)
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Property Open For Disposals
If you have Excess Property you need to dispose of, please complete the online disposal form and contact Denise Buskeness for an appointment to drop-off your excess property.
1) Copy and paste this link into Internet Explorer, as it is not compatible with Goggle Chrome.
– Scroll down to bottom
– Click Add Document
– Select if your item is informal or formal
– For Formal Property select your property number
– For Informal, click the Informal Button
– Follow the steps (Please fill out all fields)
– Select Submit
2) Wait for Denise Buskeness to send you an email asking when you would like to make an appointment.
If you run into any complications please feel free to call 379-1024 or email denise_buskeness@nps.gov. (D. Buskeness)
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Sue Beatty Recognized With Two Awards
At the recent Mariposa Grove employee day, Sue Beatty’s 30-year career devoted to ecological restoration and partnering in Yosemite was recognized with two awards. Sue was granted a Department of the Interior Superior Service honor award for her leadership in planning and implementing ecological restoration actions to restore natural forest, river, and meadow landforms and processes in the Merced River corridor, Tuolumne River corridor, Mariposa Grove, and Yosemite Wilderness, and for providing outstanding coaching and mentoring to develop the skills and abilities of numerous young biologists and botanists in Yosemite’s Vegetation and Ecological Restoration program. Sue was also granted the Yosemite Conservancy Partnership Award for her vision and collaborative spirit in transforming the Mariposa Grove from paved and busy commercial area to peaceful and verdant meadow where water flows naturally and the big trees dominate the scene. Those at the opening events this week were witness to Sue’s depth of knowledge and dedication to this place, and to the incredible transformation that she and many other dedicated ecological restoration staff accomplished in the grove. Thank you, Sue! (A. Demetry)
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El Portal Fire Fuel Reduction Saturday
Come out and help the community of El Portal for a morning of fun and fire fuel reductions work! Team up with the local fire crew this Saturday, June 23rd from 8 am to 11 am and meet in front of the El Portal Fire Office. Please wear closed toed shoes, long sleeved shirts, and long pants. Bring water, snacks, and additional sun protection if needed. All are welcome and thanks in advance! (C. Timpone)