LeConte Memorial Lodge Alert ~ Mineral King Group Newsletter, Sierrra Club
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The LeConte Memorial Lodge, a designated National Historic Landmark, is proposed for removal by the House Resources Committee of the U.S. Congress. The committee passed a bill, H.R. 2715, by one vote, on October 29, 2003 introduced by Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), the Chairman of the House National Parks Sub-Committee, to remove the century old LeConte Memorial Lodge, one of four National Historic Landmarks located in Yosemite Valley. Why? The Congressman told the Fresno Bee: "I don't really have any objections to LeConte, except for the Sierra Club's opposition to the campgrounds.” Oppose H.R. 2715 Campgrounds in Flood Zones? The controversy relates to a National Park Service plan, reached after several years of public comment, to not replace the Lower River and Upper River campgrounds that were wiped out in the 1997 flood. The NPS Yosemite Plan contemplates more campsites in the Pines campground, as well as several more campgrounds to be located outside the Valley. The Sierra Club does support more campgrounds outside the Valley, because the flood zone is not a safe or appropriate Crisis for LeConte Lodge Sierra Club LeConte Lodge Committee By preserving and celebrating part of Yosemite's history, open for all to enjoy, we believe the LeConte Memorial Lodge is providing a valuable service to the American public. Visit our Website for photos and more information: www.sierraclub.org/education/leconte/ The bill calls LeConte Memorial Lodge "a private special use." The truth of the matter is that the LeConte Memorial is a publicly-owned history museum and library, operated by the Sierra Club as a public service on behalf of the National Park Service. The LeConte Memorial Lodge was built by the Sierra Club in 1903 in Yosemite Valley to commemorate the life of LeConte, a beloved professor at the University of California at Berkeley and a founder of the Sierra Club. It is a cultural and historical resource. LeConte Lodge predates both the inclusion of Yosemite Valley into Yosemite National Park in 1906 and the creation of the National Park Service in 1916. It has served as an information center and library, open to the public, since its dedication in 1904. place to re-establish camp- grounds. The NPS has already identified places where campgrounds can be located in less sensitive areas. In any case, the campground plan isn't the Sierra Club's plan; it's the National Park Service plan, so attempting to punish the Sierra Club for this reason doesn't make much sense. REP. RADANOVICH’S YOSEMITE DESTRUCTION AND LECONTE REMOVAL BILL MUST BE STOPPED! What you can do: Please write your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose H.R. 2715, the bill containing the provision to remove the historic LeConte Memorial from Yosemite and other destructive provisions. Insist that the removal of LeConte Memorial Lodge be deleted from H.R. 2715. This beloved Memorial should not be used as a political hostage! Contact your representatives via the House of Representatives Website: http://www.house.gov/writerep/. You may also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected with your Representative's office. Or Write: Your Representative U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
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Transcript of LeConte Memorial Lodge Alert ~ Mineral King Group Newsletter, Sierrra Club
The LeConte Memorial Lodge, adesignated National HistoricLandmark, is proposed for removalby the House Resources Committee ofthe U.S. Congress. The committeepassed a bill, H.R. 2715, by one vote,on October 29, 2003 introduced byRep. George Radanovich (R-CA), theChairman of the House National ParksSub-Committee, to remove thecentury old LeConte Memorial Lodge,one of four National HistoricLandmarks located in YosemiteValley. Why? The Congressman toldthe Fresno Bee: "I don't really haveany objections to LeConte, except forthe Sierra Club's opposition to thecampgrounds.”
Oppose H.R. 2715
Campgrounds in Flood Zones?
The controversy relates to a NationalPark Service plan, reached afterseveral years of public comment, tonot replace the Lower River andUpper River campgrounds that werewiped out in the 1997 flood. TheNPS Yosemite Plan contemplatesmore campsites in the Pinescampground, as well as severalmore campgrounds to be locatedoutside the Valley. The Sierra Clubdoes support more campgroundsoutside the Valley, because the floodzone is not a safe or appropriate
Crisis for LeConte LodgeSierra Club
LeConte Lodge Committee
By preserving and celebrating part of Yosemite's history, open for all to enjoy, we believe the LeConteMemorial Lodge is providing a valuable service to the American public.
Visit our Website for photos and more information:www.sierraclub.org/education/leconte/
The bill calls LeConte MemorialLodge "a private special use."The truth of the matter is thatthe LeConte Memorial is apublicly-owned historymuseum and library, operatedby the Sierra Club as a publicservice on behalf of theNational Park Service.
The LeConte Memorial Lodgewas built by the Sierra Club in1903 in Yosemite Valley tocommemorate the life ofLeConte, a beloved professorat the University of Californiaat Berkeley and a founder ofthe Sierra Club. It is a culturaland historical resource.
LeConte Lodge predates boththe inclusion of YosemiteValley into Yosemite NationalPark in 1906 and the creationof the National Park Service in1916. It has served as aninformation center and library,open to the public, since itsdedication in 1904.
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place to re-establish camp-grounds. The NPS has alreadyidentified places wherecampgrounds can be located inless sensitive areas.In any case, the campgroundplan isn't the Sierra Club's plan;it's the National Park Serviceplan, so attempting to punish theSierra Club for this reasondoesn't make much sense.
REP. RADANOVICH’S YOSEMITE DESTRUCTIONAND LECONTE REMOVAL BILL MUST BE STOPPED!
What you can do:
Please write your U.S.Representative and U.S.Senators and ask them to opposeH.R. 2715, the bill containing theprovision to remove the historicLeConte Memorial from Yosemiteand other destructive provisions.Insist that the removal ofLeConte Memorial Lodge bedeleted from H.R. 2715. Thisbeloved Memorial should not beused as a political hostage!Contact your representatives viathe House of RepresentativesWebsite:http://www.house.gov/writerep/.
You may also call the CapitolSwitchboard at 202-224-3121 tobe connected with yourRepresentative's office. Or Write:
Your RepresentativeU.S. House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515
Vindictive Radanovich Playing Politics with Lodge
The century-old LeConte Memorial Lodge inYosemite National Park, the crown jewel of America'sNational Park System, is a publicly owned historymuseum and library operated by the Sierra Club onbehalf of the National Park Service. Steeped intradition, this National Historic Landmark was built bythe Sierra Club as a memorial to John Muir's closefriend and colleague, Joseph LeConte, an esteemedgeologist.
Built prior to establishment of the NationalPark Service, the Memorial Lodge served asYosemite's first visitor center, providing information tonew arrivals in the valley. During the 1920s, renownedlandscape photographer Ansel Adams served ascaretaker of the lodge each summer for several years.It is truly a remarkable place, one that welcomes andinspires thousands of Americans, but apparently onlyincurs the wrath of a congressman hellbent ondiscrediting and harming the Sierra Club.
Last month, by a one-vote margin, the HouseResources Committee passed a bill (HR 2715),sponsored by Rep. George Radanovich of Mariposa,that would pose grave threats to Yosemite NationalPark. One of the most controversial provisions of hisbill would remove the LeConte Memorial Lodge. Thecongressman's motives for doing this are highlysuspect.
In a letter sent to me and several members ofthe press, Rep. Radanovich admits the immense valuesof the memorial: "I'm sure that the curator andvolunteers that staff the lodge provide a legitimate andvaluable service to the public and are dedicated in theirservice to visitors."
Rep. Radanovich cannot ignore that thememorial welcomes 15,000 visitors every year --visitors who come from all over the world toparticipate in lectures, nature walks and musicalperformances free of charge.
Rep. Radanovich's main objection concerns the"Sierra Club sign in front of the lodge" because he haspersonal differences with the Sierra Club on mattersunrelated to this public facility. Ironically, if thememorial were used solely for private purposes orthreatened the ecological integrity of an area, theSierra Club would have advocated that the lodge bemoved long ago. The Sierra Club formerly owned a
campground at Tuolumne Meadows that wasvoluntarily turned back to the park service because wethought a private use that excluded the public wasinappropriate inside a national park.
For the congressman, having the spotlight onLeConte Memorial Lodge serves as a convenientdistraction from the other controversial provisions inhis bill to prohibit funds for shuttle buses, to putcampgrounds back into sensitive, flood-prone areasand to vastly increase vehicle traffic, parking and airpollution in Yosemite Valley.
These changes contradict Yosemite's 1980General Management Plan, which included broadpublic input and was widely accepted as a giant stepforward in how the park should be managed.
That plan sought to reclaim priceless naturalbeauty, reduce traffic congestion, allow naturalprocesses to prevail, reduce crowding, and promotevisitor understanding and enjoyment. The bill alsorejects a key element of the 2000 plan, which wiselyopted for relocating campsites washed out in aprevious flood outside of the floodplain. Rep.Radanovich, who doesn't like the findings, wants toscript his own plan for the park.
Rep. Radanovich's latest attack on the valleyplan would take Yosemite back toward an era of morepavement and congestion, negatively impacting boththe natural resources and the visitor experience. Rep.Radanovich simply doesn't get it. Americans loveYosemite National Park. They overwhelminglysupport reduced traffic and moving campgrounds awayfrom the floodplain. They support reducingcommercialism and crowds in the valley.
And, above all, they don't want a vindictivepolitician employing blackmail and other bully tacticsto realize his political ambitions. In waging this battle,Rep. Radanovich obscures the truth and plays politicswith a historic landmark that is enjoyed by thousandsof visitors each year.
It's sad that Rep. Radanovich has chosen topick a fight with the Sierra Club rather than addressimportant stewardship issues in one of America's mosttreasured National Parks. The historic and belovedLeConte Memorial Lodge should not become apolitical hostage. Americans deserve better.
by Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club
