A bill, likely timed to correspond with National Parks Week, is currently in front of Congress which could expand Yosemite National Park by 1,600 acres, or about 2.5 square miles.
The Pacific Forest Trust, a non-profit land trust, has reached an agreement with a group of private landowners to sell land that both parties own to the National Parks service to add land along the Merced River to the park. This would fit in with the vision John Muir originally had for the boundaries of the park, but timber and land interests won over conservation 120 or so years ago. Now, this move could win out over local residential development efforts as subdivisions are being built near this land now.
While Yosemite is over 760,000 acres, meaning this addition amounts to only about 2% more space, this land is being sold below market value, and it will help conserve this scenic area and river for all to access and enjoy.
This past summer my boyfriend and I took our first camping trip together. We lived in Boston and decided to head out west to explore new territory and visit