Only 3 percent of the entire park’s area is made of meadows, the park service said in a statement. This is the park’s biggest expansion in almost 70 years, and will serve as wildlife habitat. But, he says, you can often see bears strolling through the meadow or owls flying over the fields in spring – and he hadn’t wanted that experience to be available only to visitors who could afford to stay in a resort.
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The announcement comes several weeks after President Obama visited Yosemite, where he touted the natural beauty while also warning about the need to protect the park from the ravages of global warming. The Ackerson Meadow was given to the park by the Trust for Public Land, according to a statement Wednesday.
Ackerson Meadow, a critical wetlands and meadow habitat near the park’s Big Oak Flat entrance on the western side, was donated to the park after being purchased from private owners for $2.3 million by The Trust for Public Land.
“To have that accessible by everyone to me is just a great thing”, Robin Wainwright said. “It was worth losing a little bit of money for that”, he added.
Park Superintendent Don Neubacher says the land on the western boundary will be preserved as habitat for protected wildlife.
The National Park Service celebrated its 100th anniversary late last month. Ackerson Meadow, along with other meadows in Yosemite, filters and supplies San Francisco with most of its clean drinking water.
“We are delighted and proud to make this gift to Yosemite and the people of America”, said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land. The Yosemite Conservancy contributed $520,000, and anonymous donors put up the rest. “The purchase supports the long-term health of the meadow and its wild inhabitants, and creates opportunities for visitors to experience a lovely Sierra meadow”.
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