The beauty of Yosemite is epitomized by the beautiful wilderness that fills its valley. It’s unfortunate that now that beauty has been scarred for the sake of a temporarily improved view. It saddens me to know it will take another generation for anyone to see that view as it once once.

It’s all “natural and historic”, IMO. Human beings change their environment on purpose, it’s part of the nature of being human. When you turn up your thermostat in winter, it’s because you *can”.

I’d say that the Miwok management/exploitation of the land was a matter of less detrimental impact because they were a small population of low technology. How big was the Miwok group? I’d bet LOTS of money that their numbers never approached the number of guests in ONE DAY here in the park.

On the flip side, I’d also wager that life wasn’t all dancing and feasting on acorns and venison. I’d bet that children died young, and those that lived to adulthood had hard work for much of the year just to survive.

What changes do we see that were left by the Miwok? Grinding holes. I’ve heard rumors of cave paintings, but have never seen them. For me as a modern white woman, I’d say those were indications of a gentler human inhabitation; signs of two things that indicate humanity was here before me; Food preparation with tools (a woman’s work, mind you), and art, possibly religious art.

What changes have we made? Roads, smog, decaying buildings, crowding, trash that won’t go away for thousands of years. We’ve made massive changes to this valley, from the rubble that forms that incredible vista at the tunnel to the sewer lines that now run under the Merced River downstream of the new employee housing.

The Miwok can’t hold a candle to what we’ve done to this valley. By comparison, they were exemplars of ecological stewardship, IMO. What they did was based on simple, expedient survival as individuals and as a people. What we’ve done isn’t about survival, it’s about commercial exploitation of one of the most incredible places on the planet.

Edie

You mean the historic view that was created by dumping millions of tons of debris from constructing the tunnel 60 years ago after undisturbed forestation goig back to the last ice age?

You mean historic meadows created by people burning them for a few thousand years despite unfettered growth, again since the last ice age (and this one is funny b/c of the double standard that says that white exploitation of the land is terrible while Miwok exploitation of the land is somehow natural and historic).

You mean the historic meadows destroyed by blowing up the glacial moraine in the valley to rid it of mosquitos? If so, why not truck in 100 million tons of rubble to fill that back in?

I always get a laugh out of the “let natural processes work” line that seems to pick and choose which processes are natural and which ones should be allowed to work.

Are you aware that the trees they cut down were about 70 years old? In tree years, they were basically teenagers. I’ve known human beings who were in their 70’s who’d object to being called ancient.

I think the adjective you’re looking for is related to size rather than age. Massive, gi-normous, ponderous, stately, impressive; take your pick.

I can’t say I’m in favor or against the cutting of the trees. One of them was diseased, and that one I think should have been removed for the health of the forest. However, the other two were healthy and afforded good framing opportunities for the more creative photographer.

I can say this from the bottom of my heart; the view is radically different now that the trees are gone, and afford a very profound vista of just how magnificent the scope of the valley is. I remarked to my friend Connie that it’s like seeing it for the first time again.

Three trees vs. the impact that the view has now? Tough call. Really tough call for me.

Edie

Photo I took from tunnel view a few years ago:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_ATB13-I2sOU/R52mukjguAI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Tc2gEBTcd9s/s1600-h/Print+room+Profile.jpg

Here is a link to the park service site that details what projects are in the works.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/planning.htm