New Ferguson Fire Mandatory Evacuation for El Portal Trailer Court

New Ferguson Fire Mandatory Evacuation for El Portal Trailer Court

El Portal, CA…A MANDATORY EVACUATION has been issued for the El Portal Trailer Court. Please evacuate as soon as possible. Highway 140 West to Mariposa remains closed. Residents will need to use Highway 140 East through Yosemite to exit the area. Please drive with caution and watch for responding emergency traffic. If you require assistance […]

Ferguson Fire Swells to 17,319 Acres, 5% Contained, No Structures Lost

Ferguson Fire Swells to 17,319 Acres, 5% Contained, No Structures Lost

Ahwahnee, CA…The fire was fairly quiet overnight, with activity picking up in the area around Sweetwater Creek shortly before dawn. The fire is now established in the bottom of Sweetwater Creek. Crews worked overnight on securing line around Cedar Lodge and Indian Flat. The power line has been completed, and power has been restored to […]

Ferguson Fire Update…13,082 Acres, 5% Contained, Structures Threatened 108, Fatalities 1, Power Restored to Yosemite Valley

Ferguson Fire Update…13,082 Acres, 5% Contained, Structures Threatened 108, Fatalities 1, Power Restored to Yosemite Valley

Ahwahnee, CA….Today Firefighters continued to focus on structure protection in the areas around El Portal, Yosemite West, and Jerseydale/Mariposa Pines. They successfully kept the fire on the South side of the Merced River and Highway 140. The fire grew primarily to the South and East, with the majority of the growth occurring in the late […]

Ferguson Fire Update…12,525 Acres, 5% Contained, Structures Threatened 108, Fatalities 1, Power Restored to Yosemite Valley

Ferguson Fire Update…12,525 Acres, 5% Contained, Structures Threatened 108, Fatalities 1, Power Restored to Yosemite Valley

Ahwahnee, CA….Residences and businesses in the State Route 140 corridor continue to be impacted. As the fire continues to move East and South, it will continue to threaten residences in the Jerseydale, Mariposa Pines, Clearing House and Incline areas. Fire crews are fighting the fire aggressively. Very steep terrain makes it difficult to insert crews […]

Ferguson Fire Evacuation Advisory

Ferguson Fire Evacuation Advisory

Ahwahnee, CA…This is NOT an Evacuation Order. This is an advisement only of a potential Evacuation Order should conditions change. The Advisory is for: National Park Service El Portal Complex, Rancheria Flat- Government Housing, El Portal Trailer Court, Old El Portal. Should this area become under a Mandatory Evacuation Order you will be notified via […]

Ferguson Fire Update… 9,266 Acres, 2% Contained, Structures Threatened 108, Fatalities 1

Ferguson Fire Update… 9,266 Acres, 2% Contained, Structures Threatened 108, Fatalities 1

Ahwahnee, CA…Situation Summary: The inversion layer today was strong covering most of the area in smoke and limiting the activity noted during the two previous afternoons. Smoke limited the air attack and observation of the East side of the fire. However, late in the afternoon, conditions changed as the fire began to actively move Southwest […]

Ferguson Fire Community Meeting,

Ferguson Fire Community Meeting,

Ahwahnee, CA…The Unified Commanders, CAL FIRE, US Forest Service and Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, will be hosting a community meeting to discuss the current situation of the Ferguson Fire. Officials will be giving an operational overview briefing highlighting the current actions that firefighters are taking on the fire. Current maps of the fire will be […]

Ferguson Fire in Merced River Canyon, 9,266 Acres, 2% Contained, 1 Fatality & 108 Structures Threatened

Ferguson Fire in Merced River Canyon, 9,266 Acres, 2% Contained, 1 Fatality & 108 Structures Threatened

Yosemite, CA…Crews successfully held the fire along Highway 140 and protected structures as the fire showed significant growth to the south in Nutmeg and Devils Gulch area. Crews initiated several important new containment lines including Sweetwater Ridge on the southwest flank of the fire. Contingency lines are also being established on the fires eastern flank […]

Yosemite Roundhouse Restoration Project with Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians

Yosemite Roundhouse Restoration Project with Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians

Jackson, CA…The Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians believes strongly in helping our neighbors and strives to assist the community and the families of Amador County. As many of you know, we have been working hard over the last several years to restore the parks in your neighborhoods. One such project, Chaw’se Indian Grinding Rock, […]

Yosemite National Park Now Offers Electronic Park Entrance Passes

Yosemite National Park Now Offers Electronic Park Entrance Passes

Yosemite, CA…YourPassNow offers visitors new digital access to America’s public lands. Yosemite National Park announces the opportunity for park visitors to purchase their park entrance passes electronically through YourPassNow beginning on Thursday, June 21, 2018. Once visitors purchase and save their digital pass to their cell phone, or print and bring their purchased pass with […]

Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park Opens Today

Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park Opens Today

Yosemite, CA…Yosemite National Park announces the Glacier Point Road will open to all vehicular traffic at 9:00 am on Saturday, April 28, 2018. There will be limited visitor services available at Glacier Point. There is no projected opening date for the Glacier Point store or the Bridalveil Creek Campground. The Four Mile Trail is open […]

Report Shows Tourism to Yosemite National Park Adds $589,343,700 in Economic Benefits

Report Shows Tourism to Yosemite National Park Adds $589,343,700 in Economic Benefits

Yosemite, CA…Report shows visitor spending supports 6,666 jobs in local economy. A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 4,336,889 visitors to Yosemite National Park in 2017 spent $451,782,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 6,666 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $589,343,700. […]

Yosemite Medical Clinic Legislation Passes House Floor

Yosemite Medical Clinic Legislation Passes House Floor

Washington, D.C. – H.R. 3607 by Congressman McClintock to address continued operation of the Yosemite Medical Clinic passed the House floor on April 16th. The legislation addresses all national park medical clinics, assuring that funds generated by clinics be retained by those clinics. Congressman McClintock delivered the following House floor remarks in support of the […]

National Park Service Announces Plan to Moderately Raise Fees to Address Aging Infrastructure Needs

National Park Service Announces Plan to Moderately Raise Fees to Address Aging Infrastructure Needs

Washington, DC…As part of its ongoing efforts to address aging park infrastructure and improve the visitor experience, the National Park Service (NPS) announced today changes to the entrance fees charged at national parks. The changes, which come in response to public comments on a fee proposal released in October 2017, will modestly increase entrance fees […]

Rain & Snow Return To Our Area This Week

Rain & Snow Return To Our Area This Week

Arnold, CA….The National Weather has issued an update on the Weather Changes for Interior Northern California this Week…A couple of Pacific weather systems will bring rain, mountain snow, breezy winds and colder temperatures to interior northern California this week. The first Pacific weather system will weaken at it moves inland today. This system will bring […]

Yosemite Valley is Closing Friday Afternoon Due to Potential Flooding

Yosemite Valley is Closing Friday Afternoon Due to Potential Flooding

Yosemite, CA…Yosemite Valley is closing on Friday afternoon due to potential flooding. Due to anticipated flooding, visitors will no longer be able to enter Yosemite Valley beginning at noon on Friday, April 6, and the Valley will be closed to visitation at 5 pm on Friday. All other areas of the park will remain open, […]

Yosemite National Park Expects Significant Impacts from Incoming Storm

Yosemite National Park Expects Significant Impacts from Incoming Storm

Yosemite, CA…Park roads, campgrounds, and other facilities may be impacted. Yosemite National Park expects significant impacts from a storm coming in from the Pacific. Storm activity is expected to impact Yosemite National Park and the surrounding area on Friday, April 6 through Sunday, April 8, 2018. Park roadways, campgrounds, and other facilities may be impacted. […]

Heavy Rain & Flood Watch with Moderate to Heavy Rainfall Friday Through Saturday

Heavy Rain & Flood Watch with Moderate to Heavy Rainfall Friday Through Saturday

Arnold, CA…From the National Weather Service Sacramento, you can expect Moderate to Heavy Rainfall Friday Through Saturday. A strong atmospheric river will bring wet weather Thursday into the weekend. Snow levels will initially be well above pass levels, bringing rain across the area, including the mountains. Some snow melt is possible due to the rainfall […]

Wet Weather Returns to Northern California Later this Week. Inches of Rain in the Forecast!

Wet Weather Returns to Northern California Later this Week.  Inches of Rain in the Forecast!

Arnold, CA….From the National Weather Service Sacramento….Wet Weather Returns to Northern California Later this Week. A surge of sub-tropical moisture from Hawaii will bring a return of wet weather to northern California beginning Thursday and continuing into the weekend. Periods of heavy rain, and strong gusty south winds, are possible Friday night and Saturday. Rain […]

Yosemite Conservancy Provides $12.5 Million to Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Conservancy Provides $12.5 Million to Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park, CA…Yosemite Conservancy is providing $12.5 million in support to Yosemite National Park to improve the Bridalveil Fall visitor experience, rebuild a section of the trail around Tenaya Lake and collect data using 3-D aerial mapping to improve resource management parkwide, among 36 projects funded in 2018. “We want everyone’s visit to Yosemite […]

Road Conditions Update…Hwy 88 Closed at Peddler Hill, Chain Controls On All Mountain Highways

Road Conditions Update…Hwy 88 Closed at Peddler Hill, Chain Controls On All Mountain Highways

Arnold, CA….The roadways this morning in our area area beautiful mess. We need the snow and it is pretty but it is a mess. Hwy 88 is closed at Peddler Hill so if you are in need of a powder fix for skiing or boarding Bear Valley and Dodge Ridge are your options as for […]

National Park Foundation Raising Support for America’s National Trails and Wild & Scenic Rivers

National Park Foundation Raising Support for America’s National Trails and Wild & Scenic Rivers

Washington, DC…In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails and National Wild & Scenic Rivers systems in 2018, the National Park Foundation is raising funds for priority projects and inspiring more people to #FindYourWay along trails and rivers across the country. National Park Foundation partner Coca-Cola is lead supporter for this effort. Projects […]

Winter Storm Warning…Heavy Snow for Foothills & Mountains this Week. Over Six Feet in Some Locations

Winter Storm Warning…Heavy Snow for Foothills & Mountains this Week.  Over Six Feet in Some Locations

Arnold, CA…A series of cold winter storms will bring periods of heavy snow and gusty winds to the foothills and mountains of interior NorCal this week. Snow will begin Wednesday afternoon and continue through the weekend. Several feet of snowfall accumulation is expected in the mountains with a foot or more across some foothill locations. […]

Missing Hiker Found Safe In Yosemite National Park

Missing Hiker Found Safe In Yosemite National Park

Yosemite, CA…Alan Chow, the hiker missing in Yosemite National Park since Tuesday, February 20, has been found safe today. Chow, who was backpacking alone, was spotted from a National Park Service helicopter around Noon today above Wapama Fall in the Hetch Hetchy area after an extensive search the past several days. . He was transported […]

Yosemite National Park Announces the Opening Date for the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

Yosemite National Park Announces the Opening Date for the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

Yosemite, CA…The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias will Open at 9:00 am on Friday, June 15, 2018. Yosemite National Park announces that the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias will reopen to the public at 9:00 am on Friday, June 15, 2018. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias has been closed since July 2015 to complete […]

Yosemite National Park To Remain Open During Government Shutdown ~ Rep. Tom McClintock CA-04

Yosemite National Park To Remain Open During Government Shutdown ~ Rep. Tom McClintock CA-04

Roseville, CA…The House yesterday passed a bill to continue to fund the government through February 16th to accommodate ongoing discussions over budget caps, immigration policy and other issues. If Senate Democrats use the Senate cloture rule to prevent the bill from being taken up, the government will shut down at midnight on January 19th. The […]

Columbia College Fall 2017 President’s List Students

Columbia College Fall 2017 President’s List Students

Columbia, CA…Columbia College has named 182 students to the fall 2017 semester President’s List. We are pleased to officially recognize their exceptional scholastic achievement.  This acknowledgment is reserved for students completing twelve or more units of semester coursework at Columbia College and earning a cumulative grade point average between 3.5 and 4.0, with no grade […]