There will be many benefits to realizing our vision of returning Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to its original splendor, without the traffic and congestion that too often diminishes the visitor experience in Yosemite Valley.
There are only three days left in 2021 to make a tax-deductible contribution to Restore Hetch Hetchy. Please help by sending a check to Restore Hetch Hetchy, 3286 Adeline St. Suite 7, Berkeley, California 94703, or contributing online.
Photos from 1913 and 2021 show how fire suppression in Yosemite Valley has allowed coniferous forests to overtake meadow habitat, interrupting the natural balance. We can do a better job when we restore Hetch Hetchy.
While it is essential to provide camping and lodging, our plan is to locate the vast majority of infrastructure adjacent to, but not within, Hetch Hetchy Valley. This plan will allow wildlife and the Tuolumne River to run free, and the meadows to flourish. Visitors will visit, but not overrun the valley.
Minimizing infrastructure within the valley will make it far easier to manage Hetch Hetchy during wildfires. Without structures to protect, occasional small fires can be allowed to burn – maintaining the natural balance between forest and meadow. (The photos above show how the balance between forest and meadow has changed over time in Yosemite Valley. In 1913, Yosemite Valley included more expansive meadows than it does today. Due in large part to a century of fire suppression, much of Yosemite Valley is now dominated by young conifers. We all love trees, but it is important to achieve the right balance between saplings, mature trees and open meadows.)