YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Update On Impacts Of Ferguson Rockslide The park and its partners continue to deal with the impacts of the Ferguson rockslide, which fell on and closed a portion of Highway 140 through the Sierra National Forest back on April 29th. Highway 140 is one of four routes that serve the park. Managers at the park and at DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. have altered schedules and setup employee car pools to facilitate the needs of approximately 500 employees who commute from the Midpines and Mariposa areas. The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) has also modified its schedule and bus routes to assist in transporting commuting employees to work. Temporary housing units and RV campsites have been arranged in and around the park to accommodate those who do not wish to commute the roughly two-and-a-half hours each way to and from work. May visitor use statistics showed an 18% increase, however, indicating that the rockslide is not affecting visitor numbers. This has partially been attributed to the melt from this year’s snow pack, nearly twice its normal depth, which has made for tremendous waterfalls and lush vegetation. An information center has been set up in Mariposa to provide a centralized location for visitors, residents and business owners to obtain information about the rock slide. The information center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 209-966-6174 for additional information. The California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) is currently working on an emergency temporary solution. Two bridges are being constructed around the slide, utilizing the historic roadbed on the opposite side of the river. The date for completion of the emergency temporary solution is unknown, but is expected to be before Labor Day. Contact Information Name: Sheree Peshlakai, Park Ranger