The occupation by wealthy is quietly happening even in Yosemite National Park–another place that needs to be re-Occupied by citizens.
Yosemite West Development INSIDE Yosemite National Park: properties for SALE, including the land parcels TO BE DEVELOPED: http://www.yosemitewestrealestate.com/silver_listings.asp.
This is from Yosemite West Real Estate. Yes, this is inside Yosemite Park. While they “talk” about reducing pollution and the crowds, they’re quietly selling LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, inside Yosemite National Park–undeveloped land, which means m.ore human waste and impact. The wealthy people (presumable those who can afford “summer homes”), including wealthy foreign citizens and INVESTORS, will be allowed to BUY AND OWN a piece of Yosemite NP and live there year round, while…. “American commoners” (slaves) will be having short camping limits and face further access reductions, already limited by huge unrestricted influx by wealthy foreigners–as soon as the interests of the wealthier part of the population aren’t affected. This is PUBLIC LAND, and someone profits off it: http://www.yosemitewestreservations.com/
Not only people who don’t need to work or can have summer homes, but INVESTORS will buy this land and create profitable “rentals” off it ($120 a night is a going rent for the lowest end accommodation in Yosemite)–will make a buck off the piece of public land that belongs to citizens and nationals. Why are they selling out public land in the park overburdened by humans already? It is your choice to take action and determine WHO will OCUUPY Yosemite and US Public Lands in the future. Occupy US Public Lands.
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NorthCalPhotos is a ranter who knows not of what they speak.
Whoever they are, they are a discredit to the Occupy movement–it harms the entire movement when you have folks who take false information and rant on about it. There are plenty of real causes for alarm, issues based on facts, that show abuse of power and corruption. However, this is not one of them. To mislead in this way only splinters a movement that has many real items on which to move.
For example, the backroom deal that privatized the the Nat’l Park concession, earning the private company many Million$/year (while the park system has no cash), could be a worthy cause for a rant. But ranting about private land that is bought and sold on the open market, a foolish concern that completely detracts from the cause.
This is sad. I knew when everybody started getting punch-drunk on real estate and then the crash that the gov’t was going to be in need of money and there was a potential for selling out with our parks. I always hoped I’d be wrong though. Yosemite has been protected for a very long time. Now, due to a desperate gov’t and a certain political party it seems NOTHING is sacred anymore. It seems nowadays if you have enough money, you can buy anything… including our sacred national parks. I’m disgusted.
Occupy Oakland,
As a supporter of many of the key tenants of the Occupy movement, I would like to throw my endorsement to the efforts of Occupy Oakland. However, the basis for this blog post is incorrect. Yosemite West is NOT within the Yosemite National Park boundaries–it is entirely on Maraposa county land.
I understand that if ‘feels’ like the development is within the park boundaries, you must go through the park to get to Yosemite West. However, you pass out of the park when you enter the development–it just doesn’t feel like it because there are no signs indicating that you are out of the park.
There are full-time in Yosemite West, as well as vacation homes and Bed & Breakfast rentals.It is a mountain community where many of the home owners are there for their love of Yosemite and the mountains. I know because I am one of them. I am not wealthy as the blog would have you believe, and the Gov’t did not sell me my house, I bought if from the original owner who had lived there for some 30 years.
So while I do understand the frustrations of the Occupy movement, please direct your energies towards real abuses of Gov’t corruption.
Regards.
Finally, some information to consider if NorCalPhoto really wants to #OccupyYosemite: Yosemite does have armed law enforcement. They have a reputation (earned? unearned? Dunno) of being heavy handed, but that may be based on long-ago incidents. But I really, really doubt they will resort to agents provocateur to control the situation. The local jail is very, very small.
Camp 4 is cheap, but not easy to obtain campsites. There’s a 2 week per year limit in place to allow others to use it. There is a “free speech” area in front of the visitor’s center. No sleeping allowed. Bathrooms nearby, but showers are a different matter. Curry Village has showers. Food is expensive up here. Only food store is owned and operated by concessionaire. Parking is pretty damn hard to come by. YARTS does runs in from Mariposa. Free shuttles around the valley.
Consider the impact of protesters on a very stressed ecosystem. Yosemite hosted millions of visitors this year. Protesters will lose the support of the folks who live here if they are disruptive. Out of bounds camping has serious impact on the environment, too. We love our valley, and will be really, really pissed if a bunch of outsiders come in and destroy it.
Finally, we have snow in the forecast for tonight. The wind is picking up outside my window even as I type. This ain’t no balmy California winter; It gets bloody cold up here in the Sierra Nevada.
If you REALLY want to occupy, consider #OccupyCamp4; reach out to the people who live in Yosemite, and meet with the Superintendent to discuss ways. Have a rotating group of people with signs at the Visitor’s center. Base out of Camp 4, and stage your protests accordingly. Be ready for opposition. But most of all, learn and live Leave No Trace ethics and methods.
Respect the employee housing areas. Not all of us are on board, and you’ll piss off those on the fence if you’re found using our facilities.
HTH, HAND.
According to several sources I trust implicitly, it’s confirmed: Yosemite West is PRIVATE land, and has been since the creation of the park boundaries over 100 years ago. While there is private development, Yosemite west is inhabited (OCCUPIED!) by NPS personel, who don’t have collective bargaining rights, get paid low wages, and often do not have health coverage. Also by DNC workers, who’ve opted to invest in vacation rentals. I know a couple who own a house in Yosemite West, she works for DNC and he is a part time interp ranger. They have jumped through all the legal hoops to build a home/vacation rental in Yosemite West. I also know of a climber who is supplimenting his income by renting to vacationers and other climbers.
Budget cuts (courtesy the Republicans in Congress) means low wages for NPS jobs. Let me remind you: As bad as DNC workers have it in Yosemite, NPS workers have it worse. And they don’t have a union to bargain for them.
Keep in mind, Yosemite is surrounded by Yosemite National Park. But it is PRIVATE land.
Yosemite West is not the problem. The problem is corporate greed that reduces workforce, stalls union contract negotiations, and provides an income that is below national poverty levels to its work force while raking in huge profits.
I may have just ended my career with DNC. I’ve lived and worked in Yosemite for 6 years. For the first time I am taking the winter off to work on a project to photograph the #OWS encampments in the Midwest. I’m calling it #unnocupyyosemite.
Consider the workers of the concessionaire in Yosemite: We have been stalemated in contract negotiations. Delaware North Companies Yosemite Parks and Resorts has canceled most of the meetings, since our contract ended this past spring. Word is they have offered us a 1%/1%/1% raise over three years.
DNC is a privately-owned corporation. Jeremy Jacobs is the CEO.
Staff has been cut, workers are expected to clean 22 tent cabins in 7.5 hours even in winter conditions, and the Lodge Food court is understaffed with busers and servers. Managers routinely fill in for hourly workers. Tables go unbussed at the peak hours of operation. Long lines at the check out registers.
And yet, DNC makes money, or they wouldn’t have rebid for the concession contract with NPS. They’re here until 2015.
It’s been pointed out to me that Yosemite West is an “in-holding”, that it may be surrounded by a national park, but it is not owned by the park. At least that is my understanding, but I could be wrong.