Yosemite National Park is starting fresh with a new river planning process for the Wild and Scenic Merced River and tributaries. The public can tell the park what they want studied in the plan by submitting comments before February 4, 2010. Yosemite severely limits whitewater boating in the park, so this is our chance to ask the planners to increase the whitewater boating opportunities.

The initial public input phase for a new Merced river plan is still open for public comments through Feb 4, 2010.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/newmrp.htm

The Wild and Scenic coridor extends a quarter mile on each side of the river through Yosemite, so this plan is central to the overall planning in the park.  

River recreation and boating in the park will be a small but important part of the plan.  At present whitewater boating is not allowed on most of the Merced or its tributaries within the park.   Boating is allowed on some sections in the park, most notably the SF Merced below Wawona.   This planning process is an opportunity to address boating in a logical and rational manner. 

This is your chance to document what you like about the Merced River, its tributaries and Yosemite in general. You can comment on any aspect that you like but the standard comment form has the following questions:

1. What do you love about the Merced River, Yosemite Valley, Wawona, El Portal and/or Merced Lake High Sierra Camp?
2. What do you want to see protected?
3. What needs to be fixed?
4. What would you like to see kept the same?
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/upl...Card_10-09.pdf

You can submit comments electronically to the Yosemite National Park Service planning team
at yose_planning@nps.gov or
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document...rojectId=18982

Tell the park planners why you like or would like boating in the park, what river sections you like to boat and what sections you want to boat.   

To see the range of other comments that have been received, click on the link below and then on a location in the list meetings that have been held already.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/mrp...CP_JUMP_272078

A number of river segments will be affected by this plan.
The Merced from El Cap to Highway 120/140 junction
From 120/140 to the park boundary
SF Merced headwaters
Big Creek into the SF Merced
Yosemite Creek
It may even affect development down through El Portal as well.