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Yosemite Valley Ahwahnee Temporary Employee Housing
Yosemite National Park » Yosemite Valley Ahwahnee Temporary Employee Housing » Document List
This project would provide 6 units of temporary infill housing adjacent to the
Ahwahnee employee dorm for 12 concessionaire employees. Rockfall events at Curry Village in October
2008 resulted in the permanent closure of the Terrace tent cabin employee housing area and other hard sided
structures located in the geohazard zone at Curry Village, as revised and expanded based on analysis
conducted after the October rock fall. Prior to the October 2008 rock fall, Yosemite Institute had use of tent
cabins and hard-sided structures at Curry Village for student and teacher lodging. Subsequent to the closure
of tent cabins and other hard sided structures within the revised geohazard zone, the former Boys Town tent
cabin employee housing was converted to student and teacher lodging for Yosemite Institute, leaving a
deficit of DNC employee housing. Of the 293 Curry Village employee beds lost to closure or conversion as
a result of the October 2008 rock fall, relocation of housing for DNC employees is essential to support visitor
use. DNC needs to replace approximately 243 to 273 employee beds. This proposed temporary solution was
developed in consultation with Friends of Yosemite as part of a litigation settlement that also includes
preparation of the Revised Merced Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) and Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). This action would provide temporary lodging for 12 employees, and is needed to help meet
immediate short-term housing needs for NPS's concessionaire (DNC) until permanent employee housing is
available. The temporary employee housing planned at the subject location will be consistent with tent cabins
recently removed from the Ahwahnee dorm vicinity and compatible to the extent practicable with the
character defining features of the Ahwahnee developed area and the Yosemite Valley Historic District, and
will be portable and fully removable. Permanent employee housing requirements will be studied and
analyzed in the Revised Merced River Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) and Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). All temporary employee housing will be removed upon implementation of the CMP as
stated in the final Record of Decision (ROD) for the CMP/EIS, unless such housing is determined to be
needed in the new CMP. In such case, the CMP/EIS would address all NEPA and NHPA compliance for any
necessary future employee housing. The No-Action alternative to be evaluated in that EIS will acknowledge
the existence of temporary employee housing, but will not include any temporary housing as part of the
environmental baseline in the assessment of the No Action alternative. Should the CMP/EIS/ROD determine
that the temporary housing units will be retained, that decision could result in an adverse effect, which would
be resolved in accordance with Stipulation VIII of the 1999 PA.
Ahwahnee employee dorm for 12 concessionaire employees. Rockfall events at Curry Village in October
2008 resulted in the permanent closure of the Terrace tent cabin employee housing area and other hard sided
structures located in the geohazard zone at Curry Village, as revised and expanded based on analysis
conducted after the October rock fall. Prior to the October 2008 rock fall, Yosemite Institute had use of tent
cabins and hard-sided structures at Curry Village for student and teacher lodging. Subsequent to the closure
of tent cabins and other hard sided structures within the revised geohazard zone, the former Boys Town tent
cabin employee housing was converted to student and teacher lodging for Yosemite Institute, leaving a
deficit of DNC employee housing. Of the 293 Curry Village employee beds lost to closure or conversion as
a result of the October 2008 rock fall, relocation of housing for DNC employees is essential to support visitor
use. DNC needs to replace approximately 243 to 273 employee beds. This proposed temporary solution was
developed in consultation with Friends of Yosemite as part of a litigation settlement that also includes
preparation of the Revised Merced Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) and Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). This action would provide temporary lodging for 12 employees, and is needed to help meet
immediate short-term housing needs for NPS's concessionaire (DNC) until permanent employee housing is
available. The temporary employee housing planned at the subject location will be consistent with tent cabins
recently removed from the Ahwahnee dorm vicinity and compatible to the extent practicable with the
character defining features of the Ahwahnee developed area and the Yosemite Valley Historic District, and
will be portable and fully removable. Permanent employee housing requirements will be studied and
analyzed in the Revised Merced River Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) and Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). All temporary employee housing will be removed upon implementation of the CMP as
stated in the final Record of Decision (ROD) for the CMP/EIS, unless such housing is determined to be
needed in the new CMP. In such case, the CMP/EIS would address all NEPA and NHPA compliance for any
necessary future employee housing. The No-Action alternative to be evaluated in that EIS will acknowledge
the existence of temporary employee housing, but will not include any temporary housing as part of the
environmental baseline in the assessment of the No Action alternative. Should the CMP/EIS/ROD determine
that the temporary housing units will be retained, that decision could result in an adverse effect, which would
be resolved in accordance with Stipulation VIII of the 1999 PA.