Yosemite celebrates 150th anniversary

Yosemite celebrates 150th anniversary
By admin


California's Yosemite National Park has marked 150 years since President Abraham Lincoln signed an act protecting it for generations of visitors.

The celebration earlier this week included a groundbreaking to launch a project restoring the Mariposa Grove, which consists of 500 mature giant sequoia trees that are among the oldest living organisms in the world.

National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said the anniversary should be a reminder of the ancient treasures contained within the park.

"We stand in awe among these giant trees that are thousands of years old and are reminded about the importance of protecting our natural resources so that future generations can experience what John Muir called 'nature's forest masterpiece'," Jarvis said.

Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act on June 30, 1864, in the midst of the Civil War.

The act protected Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove "for public use, resort and recreation."

The law was the first in the nation's history allowing for a scenic natural area to be set aside.

More recently, the grove restoration project was approved in December 2013. The $US36 million ($A38.95 million) project is paid for through $US20 million in private contributions raised by the Yosemite Conservancy and $US16 million from the National Park Service.

A parking lot that threatens the trees' roots will be moved to another area and replaced with footpaths, among other changes to the park. The work will happen in phases over several years.

"The project will restore much of the Mariposa Grove to its natural state," said the conservancy's president, Mike Tollefson, "so that visitors will be able to experience one of the world's most inspiring natural cathedrals in a more serene setting."

Latest News

  • Destinations
  • News

APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]

  • Cruise
  • Luxury
  • News

Seabourn announces Western Kimberley Traditional Owners as Godparents of Seabourn Pursuit

Seabourn has named Western Kimberley Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera, as Godparents of the ultra-luxury purpose-built Seabourn Pursuit. It is the first cruise line to appoint Traditional Owners as godparents of a ship. Seabourn Pursuit embarks on its inaugural season in the Kimberley region this June. The naming ceremony will take place on Seabourn Pursuit’s […]

  • Luxury

Malolo Island Resort opens brand new Spa

Fiji’s Malolo Island has added another string to its bow – opening its $1.3 million day spa on Thursday, 18th April 2024. (Lead Image: matriarch Rosie Whitton with spa staff) Located at the edge of the resort’s luscious patch of tropical rainforest, the new “Leilani’s Spa” adds another level of elevated experiences to Malolo’s already […]