Drug gangs taking over US public lands (Deseret News)
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s redwood forests,…

Drug gangs taking over US public lands (Boston Herald)
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST, California - Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s…

Permit Now Needed For Climbers In Yosemite (KMPH FOX 26 Central San Joaquin Valley)
Starting on Monday, visitors will need a permit to climb a popular landmark in Yosemite National Park. Park officials say this effort over Half Dome addresses safety concerns, and regulates the number of hikers on the cable system.

Official: Mexican drug gangs have ’supersized’ pot farms on public lands (San Jose Mercury News)
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s redwood forests, Mexican drug gangs are quietly commandeering U.

Merced City Council approves purchase of land for new police department (Merced Sun-Star)
A five-acre plot of land overgrown with weeds just north of Yosemite Avenue near G Street will one d

Drug gangs using U.S. land (The Bryan-College Station Eagle)
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s redwood forests, Mexican drug gangs are quietly commandeering U.S. public land to grow millions of marijuana plants and using smuggled immigrants …

Safety concerns lead to new Yosemite permit system for Half Dome cable access (Los Angeles Times)
The park will limit access on high-traffic days, requiring reservations at least a week in advance, for a fee of $1.50. Alarmed by crowded conditions and four fatalities in four years at hikers’ cables near the top of Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome, park officials are implementing steps to cut foot traffic in half on peak vacation days.

Meetings on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 (Merced Sun-Star)
Special EventsLet’s Talk Books at 12:30 p.m., 2230 E. Yosemite Ave. Info: 826-3185.Merced F

Blanton keys OT victory (Madera Tribune)
If she could help it, senior forward Shalequa Blanton wasn’t about to let the Madera South High girls basketball team fall to 0-4 in the North Yosemite League.

KFRE CW 59 Yosemite Badger Pass Contest (KMPH FOX 26 Central San Joaquin Valley)
Cure those winter blues and head to a Winter Wonderland full of snow adventure! The KFRE CW 59 and Yosemite Badger Pass wants to cure those blues away and send ten (10) lucky winners to Yosemite Badger Pass Ski Area for a day of winter excitement.

Permits soon needed to scale Yosemite’s Half Dome (San Francisco Chronicle)
Permits soon will be required to scale Half Dome in Yosemite National Park on weekends and holidays. Park officials say so many people have been using the cable handrails to scale the granite monolith on peak days that it’s posing safety concerns. Two hikers… Yosemite National Park - Half Dome - National park - United States - California

Permits soon needed to scale Yosemite’s Half Dome (CBS 47 Fresno)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) Permits soon will be required to scale Half Dome in Yosemite National Park on weekends and holidays. Park officials say so many people have been using the cable handrails to scale the granite monolith on peak days that it’s posing safety concerns. Two hikers have fallen to their death while climbing Half Dome in recent years, and one suffered serious …

New Yosemite Master Plan (KCBS Radio San Francisco)
Environmental groups and the National Park Service reached a legal settlement this past week, which clears the way for a new restoration plan for portions of the Yosemite Valley. KCBS’ Mark Seelig reports

Permits soon needed to hike Yosemite’s Half Dome (San Jose Mercury News)
Permits soon will be required to scale Half Dome in Yosemite National Park on weekends and holidays.

Mt. Whitney goes toe-to-toe with Hanford West, still falls 54-50 (Visalia Times-Delta / Tulare Advance-Register)
If Thursday’s game between Mt.Whitney and Hanford West was any indication of how competitive the West Yosemite League is going to be this winter, everyone better buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Modesto lunch truck helpers deliver loaves and wishes (Modesto Bee)
No one in Modesto likely serves lunch to more people than Glenda Price and Liz Silveira.They feed

Mike Tharp: Predictions for the Year of the Tiger (Merced Sun-Star)
Time again for New Year’s predictions.Last year’s forecast batted over .500, with 21 pre

Yosemite ice rink now open (Sierra Star)
Yosemite’s Curry Village ice rink, one of the last remaining outdoor ice-skating venues still operating in California, has opened for the season.

PREP GLANCE: Huskies fifth at Polly (The Hanford Sentinel)
VISALIA - Rodney Webster scored 25 points to make the all-tournament team and Hanford West held on for a 54-50 win over Mt. Whitney in the fifth-place game of the Polly Wilhelmsen tournament on Thursday evening.

Visit Yosemite in winter for a photogenic wonderland (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Winter wonderland

Still waiting for a decision: Rainier or Yosemite? (Tacoma News Tribune)
Dave Uberuaga has the same question for anyone who asks he s one day closer to finding out whether he is staying at Yosemite National Park or returning to Mount Rainier.

A Crimson Setting in Yosemite (Modesto Bee)
John Muir, the father of Yosemite National Park, would’ve delighted in the red skies that set over Half Dome this week. The park may get some showers today, but the National Weather Service expects clear skies overhead by Sunday. Modesto should have a clear and cool weekend with high temperatures about 60 degrees and lows about 39 degrees.

All-WYL football teams unveiled (The Hanford Sentinel)
Members of the all-West Yosemite League football team were announced, with Hanford, Hanford West and Lemoore all being represented.

Scenic mountain road through Yosemite closes (KMIR 6 Palm Springs)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - Park officials say the highest elevation route through the Sierra Nevada is now closed for the winter season. Tioga Road closed Monday, shutting off vehicle travel through the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park for the coming months.

Scenic mountain road through Yosemite closes (KCBA FOX 35 Salinas)
Associated Press - November 30, 2009 3:04 PM ET YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - Park officials say the highest elevation route through the Sierra Nevada is now closed for the winter…

Scenic mountain road through Yosemite closes (The Victoria Advocate)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) Park officials say the highest elevation route through the Sierra Nevada is now closed for the winter season.

Yosemite ranger honored for interpretation (Modesto Bee)
Yosemite National Park ranger Shelton Johnson received the 2009 Freeman Tilden Award during a confer

Taking in Yosemite s grandeur (The Record and Herald News)
Record on the Road: Yosemite National Park.

Hicks leads Huskies to win (The Hanford Sentinel)
VISALIA - It had been more than three years since Hanford West had won a game in the West Yosemite League.

Travel briefs: Study: Yosemite bears like minivans (Ventura County Star)
Study: Yosemite bears like minivans YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK What s bigger than a picnic basket and even better to the black bears who call Yosemite National Park home? The answer is minivans driven by families with children who leave behind a trail of spilled juice boxes, Cheerios and other snacks, according to a study published in October in the Journal of Mammalogy. Park scientists set out …

1969: Investigation of MUSD finances (The Manteca Bulletin)
80 years ago October 31, 1929 Work is to be started this week on what is to be one of the finest homes in this city. The place is being built for Mr. and Mrs. Arbor Barth on a 75-foot lot on West Yosemite Avenue between the E. Powers and B. T. Bringier residences. It is to be a two-story structure with every modern convenience provided. 70 years ago October 26, 1939 Appointment …

Hungry bears prefer pawing through minivans (Omaha World-Herald)
There are plenty of luxury cars and shiny SUVs parked in Yosemite National Park, but it s no surprise to federal officials that the humble minivan is the vehicle of choice for bears who want a midnight snack.

Site seeing: expedia.com/nationalparks (San Diego Union-Tribune)
This new site from Expedia and the National Park Foundation helps travelers plan trips to national parks. The content also includes suggestions for long weekend itineraries with stops at national parks in Colorado, Texas and Michigan, and a series called Can t-Miss National Parks. The first five can t-miss parks are the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympic and Yosemite.

Study: Yosemite bears prefer minivans (Florida Today)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIF. What’s bigger than a picnic basket and even better than one in the eyes of black bears that call Yosemite National Park home?

Fresno Pacific student dies in Yosemite (The Fresno Bee)
A Fresno Pacific University student was killed Thursday afternoon and two others were seriously inju

U.S. to delay development in Yosemite Valley (Los Angeles Times)
Construction will be deferred until at least 2012 to allow completion of plan to protect the Merced River. Ending a lengthy legal battle with environmentalists, the federal government agreed Wednesday to halt all commercial development in Yosemite National Park’s most popular area and to consider limiting access to its wilderness.

Fresno Pacific Student Dead, Two Injured in Yosemite National Park (KFSN-TV Fresno)
A Fresno Pacific University student was killed in a car crash in Yosemite National Park.

Settlement Blocks Yosemite Commercial Development (CBS 5 Bay Area)
Environmentalists and park managers have reached a settlement that blocks all planned construction projects in Yosemite Valley until the park writes a new plan that won’t threaten the fragile ecosystem.

Hiking to the top of Yosemite s Half Dome is not for the faint of heart (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Y OSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Ever since the Sierra Club installed a system of cables, pipe supports and 2-by-4 wooden footholds in 1919, the climb to the top of Half Dome has been the ultimate challenge for hikers in Yosemite National Park.

Settlement blocks Yosemite commercial development (Nevada Appeal)
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Ending a lengthy legal battle with environmentalists, the federal government agreed Wednesday to halt all commercial development in Yosemite National Park’s most popular stretch and to consider limiting access to…

Storied Yosemite hotel reopens after rock avalanches forced evacuation (The San Francisco Examiner)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIF. Yosemite’s historic Ahwahnee Hotel has reopened following rockslides that forced its evacuation. Park geologists have been monitoring a cliff towering over the building to make sure the danger of further slides has passed.

Yosemite biologist dies in rock climb (The Fresno Bee)
A 47-year-old wildlife biologist at Yosemite National Park died Sunday while rock climbing on Mount Dana, on the park’s eastern edge.

Biologist dies in Yosemite National Park (Channel 8 San Diego)
Associated Press - September 1, 2009 7:44 PM ET YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - Rangers say a wildlife biologist at Yosemite National Park died over the weekend after falling in a…

Biologist Dies From Fall In Yosemite National Park (CBS 5 Bay Area)
Rangers say a wildlife biologist at Yosemite National Park died over the weekend after falling in a climbing accident near the park’s eastern edge. Forty-seven-year-old Jeff Maurer of El Portal died Sunday after falling from the Third Pillar, a technical rock climbing route on Mount Dana. Maurer had done research on falcons, eagles and other birds of prey in Yosemite for three years.

Yosemite fire swells to 5,257 acres (KGO-TV Bay Area)
A wildfire continues to grow in Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite fire swells to 5,257 acres overnight (CBS 47 Fresno)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) Officials have lifted mandatory evacuation orders for residents in El Portal, although a wildfire continues to grow in Yosemite National Park. Park officials say the fire grew overnight to nearly 5,300 acres, or 8.3 square miles. The two dozen homes in Foresta remain under evacuation, as do the Crane Flat and Tamarack Flat campgrounds. Authorities also have …

USGS: large tree population declining in Yosemite (AP via Yahoo! News)
Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday there are fewer large-diameter trees growing in Yosemite National Park than in years past, most likely because of climate change.

Lightning Fire In Yosemite (MyMotherLode.com)
Yosemite, CA — A lightning fire has been spotted in Yosemite National Park in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. Yosemite officials say the “Wildcat Fire” is burning in Red Fir, Jeffery Pine and brush. It is located on the north side of the Tuolumne River, between Pate Valley and Glen Aulin.

Yosemite Losing Its Big Trees (LiveScience.com via Yahoo! News)
Yosemite National Park has lost many of its large trees during the last century, possibly due to a warmer climate, a new study finds.

Large Trees Are Declining in Yosemite (redOrbit)
Large trees have declined in Yosemite National Park during the 20th century, and warmer climate conditions may play a role.The number of large-diameter trees in the park declined 24 percent between the 1930s and 1990s. U.S.

Plan to protect Tuolumne River (The Fresno Bee)
Out of the limelight, Yosemite National Park officials are drafting a plan to keep development and future crowds from making a mess of the pristine Tuolumne River — the park’s “other” major stream.

Fire ignited in Yosemite (The Union Democrat)
A fire in Yosemite National Park’s rugged Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, in Tuolumne County, was sparked by lightning Wednesday night. By noon on Thursday, the fire had spread to 303 acres, Yosemite officials said.

Two Wildfires Burning In Yosemite (MyMotherLode.com)
Yosemite, CA — Crews in Yosemite are managing two lightning caused fires. Park Ranger Kari Cobb says the Grouse Fire is 848 acres and located three miles southwest of Yosemite Valley. The Harden Fire is 593 acres and situated on the north side of park, west of Harden Lake.

Local briefs: Sanger man charged in sex assault on child (The Fresno Bee)
A Sanger man may face 25 years to life in prison on charges of sexual assault and burglary after he was caught standing over a child’s bed in a Sanger home Tuesday morning, officials say.

Hetch Hetchy rebuild bill pulled from agenda (San Francisco Chronicle)
A controversial bill that would have changed conflict-of-interest rules to allow a Pasadena firm to work on the $4.5 billion rebuild of San Francisco’s water system was pulled from the agenda of a Senate committee scheduled to hear it Wednesday. AB746, the…

Yosemite fires grow (The Union Democrat)
Two lightning-sparked fires in Yosemite National Park, mostly dormant for about a month, more than doubled in size between Tuesday to Wednesday.

GIS Helps Yosemite National Park Improve Emergency Operations (WirelessWorkforceOnline)
The world of twenty-first-century emergency operations is turning with ever greater frequency to high-tech tools for more effective response. Recently, ArcGIS from ESRI supplies Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) with a new and improved method for carrying out a number of operations.

Five seats open for YLP board of directors (Sierra Star)
Residents at Yosemite Lakes Park go to the polls July 18 to fill five open seats for the board of directors.

New Miss California builds on Valley win (Merced Sun-Star)
Miss Yosemite Valley, 21-year-old Kristy Cavender, was chosen by judges to represent California in the storied Miss America Pageant next January in Las Vegas.