Yosemite National Park
Country
United States of America (USA)
Inscribed in
1984
Criteria
(vii)
(viii)
The conservation outlook for this site has been assessed as "significant concern" in the latest assessment cycle. Explore the Conservation Outlook Assessment for the site below. You have the option to access the summary, or the detailed assessment.
Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California. With its 'hanging' valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciation. At 600–4,000 m, a great variety of flora and fauna can also be found here. © UNESCO
Summary
2025 Conservation Outlook
Finalised on
11 Oct 2025
Significant concern
Current state and trend of VALUES
High Concern
Overall THREATS
Overall PROTECTION and MANAGEMENT
Full assessment
Description of values
Exceptional natural beauty
Criterion
(vii)
Yosemite has exceptional natural beauty, including five of the world's highest waterfalls, a combination of granite domes and walls, deeply incised valleys, three groves of giant sequoia, numerous alpine meadows, lakes and a diversity of life zones (World Heritage Committee, 2018).
Unique and pronounced landform features and a unique example of the effects of glaciation on granitic domes
Criterion
(viii)
Glacial action combined with the granitic bedrock has produced unique and pronounced landform features including distinctive polished dome structures, as well as hanging valleys, tarns, moraines and U-shaped valleys. Granitic landforms such as Half Dome and the vertical walls of El Capitan are classic distinctive reflections of geologic history. No other area portrays the effects of glaciation on underlying granitic domes as well as Yosemite does (World Heritage Committee, 2018).
Rich terrestrial and aquatic biota
The variety of flora is reflected in the existence of six distinct vegetation zones which are governed by altitudinal variation. Notable are three groves of the giant sequoia tree and extensive alpine meadows. There are 1,683 vascular plants. A total of 109 plant species have status as either a federal species of concern, listed as rare by the State of California, or listed by the park as rare. There are six federal species of concern - three-bracted onion (Allium tribracteatum), Yosemite woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum nubigenum), Congdon’s lomatium (Lomatium congdonii), Tiehm’s rock-cress (Arabis tiehmii), slender-stemmed monkeyflower (Mimulus filicaulis), and Bolander’s clover (Trifolium bolanderi) (NPS, 2015). The park also has 14 amphibians, 270 birds, 10 fish, 87 mammals, and 22 reptiles (NPS, 2016). Of Yosemite’s special status mammal species, the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, the California wolverine, and the Pacific fisher are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and the Sierra Nevada red fox and the California wolverine are part of the 14 mammals protected by the state of California (NPS, 2023).
Assessment information
Current threats to the integrity of the Yosemite National Park World Heritage site include over-development, unregulated day use, air pollution, invasive species, altered fire regimes and the ecological impacts of climate change. Although 94% of Yosemite is Congressionally designated wilderness, the remaining 6% has serious problems with over-development and over-crowding, especially in Yosemite Valley. This creates a congested urban environment which encroaches on the natural beauty of the valley, impacting natural ecosystems and wildlife. Up to 5.5 million people visit the park each year. With these levels of visitor use, and an excessive reliance on personal motor vehicles, a rare and valuable quality - the ability to experience seclusion and tranquillity - can diminish or even disappear. High levels of air pollutants have adversely affected certain tree species and the park's aesthetics. Fire management is a vexing issue in which the legacy of undesirable suppression policies is colliding with the impacts of climate change. The inexorable progress of climate change intensifies threats associated with fire regimes, invasive species and the decline of parts of Yosemite's ecosystem.
Residential Areas, Commercial & Industrial Areas, Recreation & Tourism Areas
(Over-development)
Inside site
, Localised(<5%)
Although 94% of Yosemite is Congressionally designated wilderness, the remaining 6% faces problems with over-development, especially in the 1428 ha Yosemite Valley. There are 344 km of paved roads, over 1150 buildings, over 1300 units for 'lodging', and campsites for 9600 people; almost 1500 employees of the National Park Service and hospitality industry work in the park over summer (NPS, 2022). Within Yosemite Valley itself, this development has created a congested urban environment, which encroaches on the natural beauty of the valley and impacts natural ecosystems and wildlife.
Recreational Activities
(Impact of tourism)
Inside site
, Localised(<5%)
There are no current limits on the number of people that can enter the park each day. Visitor numbers reached the 4-5 million mark from 2014-2019, with a peak of 5.2 million in 2016; numbers dropped off during the covid pandemic but had recovered to 3.3 million in 2021; the average length of stay is about 2 days (NPS, 2022). The overwhelming majority arrived by motor vehicle, causing gridlock on many summer weekends; statistics that enumerate traffic accidents and road fatalities note around 25 car accidents involving bears each year (NPS, 2022). With excessive visitor use, a sense of seclusion, a valued resource, can diminish or even disappear. 'Harmful overcrowding' has been identified as a problem by NGOs (NPCA, 2024a). The park manager has identified the site's natural 'soundscape' as a characteristic worth protecting (NPS, 2022).
Fire & Fire Management
(Fire and fire suppression)
Inside site
, Widespread(15-50%)
One of the key issues facing park management is that of fire. On the one hand, ecologists have identified the lack of fire due to decades of deliberate suppression as a problem (NPS, 2023; Miller et al. 2012; van Wagtendonk and Lutz, 2007). On the other hand, climate change is intensifying the extent and severity of fires (California Air Resources Board, 2024), necessitating emphatic responses during the height of summer in a state that is world-renowned for savage wildfires. New policies, measures and tools have been introduced to address this threat. The National Park Service describes the background, challenges and strategies used in dealing with fires in Yosemite National Park (NPS, 2024a). Fires that could have had very serious consequences for the biological attributes of Yosemite include the Washburn fire of July 2022 which burnt nearly 2000 ha and threatened the Mariposa stand of giant sequoias (Wikipedia, 2024), the ‘French’ fire of July 2024 (Guardian, 2024), and fires in August 2024 (Peterson, 2024).
Invasive Non-Native/ Alien Species
(Invasive alien species)
Other invasive species names
New Zealand Mud Snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), Yellow Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), and various 'forest pests' (National Park Service, 2015).
Inside site
, Widespread(15-50%)
Invasive species have been identified as an environmental issue affecting the site and the park authority has implemented programs to reduce the prevalence of some of these (NPS, 2023). Currently, 275 non-native plant species have been documented within the park, 28 of which have been discovered since 2012, at least eight of which are considered a high priority for treatment (NPS, 2024b). The National Park Service has reported 9 species of non-native fish in 1939 km of streams in 2 major river systems and in 245 lakes in the park (NPS, 2012), however the updated website on invasive animals is less informative (NPS, 2024c). Management of invasive species has been successful but with funding in all USA national parks under pressure, the program may have difficulties in the future.
Air-borne Pollutants
(Air pollution)
Inside site
, Widespread(15-50%)
Outside site
Air pollution is a problem for almost all national parks in the USA (NPCA, 2024b) and is currently recognised as one of the most significant threats to the natural attributes of the Sierra Nevada, the mountain range within which Yosemite occurs (NPS, 2023). Ozone levels are a threat to the site (Kohut, 2007). According to the park manager, Yosemite also experiences levels of haze, ozone and smoke levels that require monitoring (and which can be seen via web cams) affecting the park's world-famous views (NPS, 2024d). Significant tracts of the ponderosa and Jeffrey pine trees in the park have shown evidence of injury by ozone (Durisco 1987, NPCA 2017a). Pollutants adversely affect the park's aesthetics.
Changes in Physical & Chemical Regimes, Changes in Temperature Regimes, Changes in Precipitation & Hydrological Regime
(Ecological impacts of climate change)
Inside site
, Throughout(>50%)
Climate change associated ecological impacts and alterations to the site's fire regime constitute a significant threat. The issue has been repeatedly identified as a serious threat by the park manager (NPS, 2023), NGOs (NPCA 2018c; Environmental Health News, 2023a) and researchers (Jenkins, 2022; Price et al, 2024). This trend is already impacting glaciers, snowpack, waterfalls, wildfire activity, forest health, and ecosystems throughout the park (NPS, 2023). A resurvey of sites first established in the 1920s indicates that climate induced changes to small mammal populations might be occurring; formerly low-elevation species expanded their ranges and high-elevation species contracted theirs, leading to changed community composition at mid- and high elevations; though some high-elevation species are threatened, protection of elevation gradients allows other species to respond via migration (Moritz et al. 2008). Climate-induced decreases in snowpack (Roche et al. 2018; NPS, 2023) and the associated increase in fire severity suggest that existing assumptions may be understated – fires may become more frequent and more severe (Lutz et al. 2009). Reduced snowpack also leads to reduced run-off and reduced volumes in waterfalls, potentially degrading a critical part of the site's awe-inspiring scenery. Some changes identified as consistent with but not formally attributable to climate change include: higher-elevation tree shift (Dolanc et al., 2013), large tree decline, (McIntyre et al. 2015, Nesmith et al. 2018), upslope fire shift (Schwartz et al. 2015), and earlier spring (Monahan et al. 2016, Gonzalez et al. 2010b, Drexler et al. 2015), among many other changes (Jenkins, 2022). Impacts are likely to escalate as global mean temperatures continue to rise (Price et al, 2024).
US national parks are facing challenges from government changes which impact staff numbers and funding for operational and management needs, further enhanced by increasing climate change impacts. This creates uncertainty regarding the medium-term impact on sustainable finance for essential management activities.
Removing/Reducing Human Management
(Changes in staff capacity and funding)
Inside site
, Throughout(>50%)
Outside site
US national parks are facing challenges from government changes which impact staff numbers and funding for operational and management needs, further enhanced by increasing climate change impacts (e.g. Matza, 2025; Rosenblat, 2025). This creates uncertainty regarding the medium-term impact on sustainable finance for essential management activities.
Involvement of stakeholders and rightsholders, including indigenous peoples and local communities, in decision-making processes
The National Park Service uses its Parkwide Programmatic Agreement as a means of furthering consultation with local native tribes and groups (NPS, 2024i). Indigenous hunting and gathering and spiritual ceremonies have been carried out and the park manager's relationship with Indigenous people has been described as 'fair' (UNESCO 2013). A reconstructed Indigenous village is located behind the Yosemite Museum and is reportedly 'still actively used by members of the local American Indian community for ceremonies and special gatherings' (National Park Service, 2022b). Other local communities are primarily concerned about sustaining and increasing visitation to the park because their economies have grown dependent on park visitors. This leads to some conflicts with minimising the impacts of high visitation rates.
Legal framework
The legal framework applying to the Yosemite National Park consists of federal laws and the park regulations set out in the Superintendent's Compendium (updated May 2024) that cover issues such as campfires, road closures, rock climbing, traffic, permits etc. (NPS, 2024e). The site is governed by federal statutes that established the Yosemite National Park, the Yosemite Wilderness, the Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River, and Merced Wild and Scenic River. Other federal acts cover establishment and objectives of the National Park Service, air quality, water quality, environmental policy, wild and scenic rivers, wilderness, endangered and threatened species, historic preservation, and protection of archaeological attributes. Combined, these statutes are generally effective in maintaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the site.
Governance arrangements
Yosemite National Park is managed by the National Park Service (NPS, 2024f), an agency of the US government within the Department of the Interior. This makes for a straightforward line of responsibility and accountability.
Integration into local, regional and national planning systems (including sea/landscape connectivity)
Yosemite forms part of an extremely well protected wider landscape of about one million ha in extent (NPS, 2024h) whose management involves other government agencies such as the US Forest Service.
Boundaries
The boundary encompasses two nearly complete watersheds and the park's shape means that its perimeter encloses a large area. The spectacular landscapes and glacial landforms that form the essence of the site's Outstanding Universal Value are well protected by the park's boundaries (it should be noted, however, that the Hetch Hetchy valley, a spectacular part of the park, was inundated by an artificial reservoir in 1923 – a campaign to restore this part of the site continues to this day). From an ecological point of view, the boundaries could be improved by including upper parts of one of the catchments. However, because the park's eastern and northern edges abut designated wilderness areas, Yosemite forms part of an extremely well protected wider landscape of about one million ha in extent (NPS, 2024h).
Overlapping international designations
For Yosemite National Park, there appears to be no overlap with other international designations.
Implementation of World Heritage Committee decisions and recommendations
Since 2000, there have been only two decisions by the World Heritage Committee that pertain to Yosemite National Park – a clarification of boundaries (WH Comm, 2014) and the adoption of a retrospective Statement of OUV (WH Comm, 2018). There have been no recommendations to the State Party or the manager by the Committee since 1984.
Climate action
The park manager has a webpage devoted to its responses to climate change (NPS, 2024j) which refers to a 2006 document for reducing emissions from transportation, electricity use and waste management (NPS, 2006) – this document does not seem to have been updated. National Park Service initiatives and partnerships continue to focus on these [2006] areas to reduce the park’s carbon footprint. To decrease the carbon footprint of the park’s electrical supply, several arrays of solar panels were installed at the El Portal Maintenance Complex in 2010, producing more than 670,000 kWh of energy every year (NPS, 2024j), or an average of 78 kW. This is a relatively small amount of power for what amounts to a small town. Most of the other initiatives pertain to research and fire management (NPS, 2024j).
Management plan and overall management system
The National Park Service is an exemplary management body thanks to dedicated staff, a strong internal culture and national legislation. Guidance for management and planning is provided by the Yosemite Foundation Document of December 2016 which includes special mandates and administrative commitments, evaluation of requirements for planning, and the associated studies and data required for park planning (NPS, 2024f). These documents provide a framework for park planning and establish a baseline from which more specific management documents (covering everything from a particular walking trail to big-picture issues such as fire management) are developed. The park also has a General Management plan approved in 1980 that requires updating, particularly when it comes to integrating threats from climate change and fire. In the meantime, the park authority has shown the agility necessary to adapt to changing circumstances by updating planning documents for particular issues, such as fire (NPS, 2024a). Management prescriptions vary according to the park's zoning, with the wilderness areas, for example, covered by a comprehensive set of regulations (NPS, 2024g). The management system in place is adequate to maintain the site's Outstanding Universal Value. However, it is beyond the capability of the park authority to influence the influx of air pollution from outside the property, fires entering the park from outside, or the globally ubiquitous effects of climate change.
Law enforcement
The park employs over 700 rangers during summer (NPS, 2023) and also has the use of helicopters to help enforce the laws (NPS 2020 / Aviation Management). The National Park Service website has published at least one example of prosecution of poachers in 2010 (NPS, 2015). The high population of Yosemite valley means that there are examples of people being prosecuted for breaking the law, but most of these relate to offences such as traffic violations or theft rather than those impacting the park’s natural values. One research paper into the topic of law enforcement inside the USA's national parks concluded that the information on the subject available to the public is very limited and has called for more research and publication (Stadler et al, 2023).
Sustainable finance
The 2021 operating budget for the park was approximately US $30 million, providing for a workforce of 741 employees in summer and 451 in winter (NPS, 2023). Additional funding for specific projects is available through the park manager’s partners (NPS, 2024k). For example, the Yosemite Conservancy says it has provided US $162 million in grants for 850 projects ‘in recent years’, and over US $200 million worth of support in the past decade. Other organisations provide in-kind assistance and environmental programs for young people. At Yosemite, one report in 2017 identified a $582 million backlog in maintenance of park infrastructure (Bachmann, 2018). Given the requirement of the National Park Service to service the needs of up to 5 million visitors per annum, the persistent threats to park funding, and the challenges associated with climate change, it is not clear whether the park's funding is sufficient to maintain the property's Outstanding Universal Value over the long term. US national parks are facing escalating challenges from government changes which impact staff numbers and funding for operational and management needs, further enhanced by increasing climate change impacts (e.g. Matza, 2025). This creates uncertainty regarding the medium-term impact on sustainable finance for essential management activities.
Staff capacity, training and development
Staffing levels and capacity of the USA National Park Service have been adversely impacted in recent years (e.g. Koebler 2017, Repanshek 2017, Bachmann 2018, NPCA 2019 and 2024c). Civil-society groups have expressed serious concern over the impacts of budget cuts on staffing levels of all parks (NPCA 2019, 2024c). Although referring to the National Parks Service generally, such changes will likely have a negative impact on staff levels, workloads, training and morale in Yosemite National Park.
Nevertheless, the National Park Service has a strong internal culture of dedication to national parks; by world standards, the staff capacity, training and development are still good. However, the trend is one of deterioration in staff capacity at a time when the challenges faced by Yosemite National Park are escalating due to climate change and government funding cuts (Gardner and Gonzales, 2025).
Nevertheless, the National Park Service has a strong internal culture of dedication to national parks; by world standards, the staff capacity, training and development are still good. However, the trend is one of deterioration in staff capacity at a time when the challenges faced by Yosemite National Park are escalating due to climate change and government funding cuts (Gardner and Gonzales, 2025).
Education and interpretation programmes
The National Park Service has an excellent program of interpretation and education about Yosemite that can be accessed online (NPS, 2019), in brochures, in visitor centres, and on the trails. It is backed up by the NPS’s junior rangers program as well as assistance from NGOs (NPS, 2024k).
Tourism and visitation management
Overcrowding and congestion are common in the Yosemite Valley, the most popular part of the property. The upward trend of visitor numbers was interrupted briefly by the covid pandemic; after a high of over 5 million in 2016, numbers reached 3.3 million in 2021 (NPS, 2023). Congestion of vehicle traffic in Yosemite National Park frequently causes gridlock stretching for kilometres back along the main access road; the park manager provides advice accordingly regarding timing of visits (NPS, 2024l). The National Park Service also promotes the park's excellent bus-transport system (YARTS, 2024) and has taken other measures to reduce the impacts of excessive traffic (NPS, 2024j). The 94% of the park designated as wilderness has an effective system of permits and policies to maintain a sense of remoteness and seclusion (NPS, 2024g).
Sustainable use
The long-term increase in visitor numbers (consistently over 4 million visitors per annum) combined with congestion and over-crowding in the Yosemite valley raise questions about the sustainability of the park's tourism industry. Visitors are encouraged to use the park's extensive public transport system, which provides access to the park's main visitor nodes (YARTS, 2024), though encouraging visitors to use public transport in favour of travelling by car is challenging. Attempts are being made to reduce water consumption and solid waste, to conserve energy, and to use sustainable products (NPS, 2024j). Steps have been taken to install solar collectors, a biodiesel fuel station and the addition of hybrid vehicles to the park’s fleet. The park has initiated a Zero Landfill Project to increase recycling parkwide (NPS, 2024j). The management of the 94% of the park that is designated wilderness is effectively carried out through a permit system and associated regulations (National Park Service, 2024g), providing effective management of the impacts of outdoor recreationalists in the more remote areas. Regarding other sustainable uses the National Park Service uses its Parkwide Programmatic Agreement as a means of furthering consultation with local native tribes and groups (NPS, 2024i). Indigenous hunting and gathering and spiritual ceremonies have been carried out.
Monitoring
The park manager systematically monitors visitor impacts and ecological attributes. Characteristics that are regularly measured include the creation of informal trails, the amount of bare soil within meadows, landscape, hydrology, and physical and biotic structures. The results of monitoring trigger management actions that include increased monitoring, secondary measurements and studies, visitor education and outreach, and ecological restoration. Additional monitoring pertains to birds, fire ecology, air quality (including smoke levels), invasive plants and various forms of visitor activity (National Park Service’s portal on Yosemite – numerous entries under ‘monitoring’). Nevertheless, these programs rely on long-term funding and are sensitive to changes in allocations.
Research
According to the park manager (NPS, 2024m), a ‘plethora of ongoing scientific research abounds at Yosemite National Park, from [studies of] declining animal species to invasive plant removal strategies to human carrying capacity issues. Yosemite has expanded its resources management and science staff to more than 100 people.’ The park serves as a public meeting place for scientific symposiums. Topics include fire science, hydro-climatology, archaeology and bird surveys, with scientific papers presented at a monthly forum. The park also processes hundreds of research permits every year for its staff and outside interests. The park is proud to sponsor a park-based social-science branch, which serves as a model for ground-breaking work in visitor use and capacity issues.
Effectiveness of management system and governance in addressing threats outside the site
Many threats that arise from outside the property are beyond the control of the management system. These include air pollution, some wildfires and the ecological impacts of climate change. With up to 5 million visitors per annum, it is also challenging to apply effective controls on the influx of invasive species. This situation is ameliorated by Yosemite National Park's status as part of a system of contiguous wilderness areas that cover over a million hectares, allowing for enhanced coordination of management strategies by other federal agencies.
Effectiveness of management system and governance in addressing threats inside the site
The major threats inside the property arise from excessive use of motor vehicles, very high visitor numbers (up to 5 million per annum), invasive species, and the ecological impacts of climate change. The sheer number of visitors can overwhelm the capacity of staff and facilities, but these impacts are confined largely to the Yosemite Valley, a small but important component of the property. The park manager has tackled some invasive species very effectively while others remain an intractable problem (a situation common in natural properties globally). The park manager has adopted policies on fire management that are adaptable and which are cognisant of the potential for climate change to cause fires of catastrophic intensity. Sustainable funding of the National Park Service is essential to maintain the ability of the park's managers to develop long-term strategies to address the escalating impacts of climate change.
The US National Park Service, the land manager of Yosemite National Park, is backed by a strong legal framework. Laws and regulations designed to protect the site include federal legislation for national parks and wild rivers as well as instruments that deal with on-the-ground practicalities such as traffic, firearms, parking, campfires, walking trails and permits. A variety of formal planning instruments cover issues such as invasive alien species, zoning and fire management. These measures, together with park's location as part of a broader system of wilderness reserves, create a solid foundation for effective management. This positive situation is enhanced by a strong environmental NGO sector which provides advocacy, significant additional funding and other forms of support. The park has excellent programs for education, interpretation, monitoring and research. Park visitation appears to be unsustainably high, adding to ambient levels of air pollution and noise, and straining the park manager's resources. Reliable long-term funding from the US government is essential to maximise the ability of park managers to develop long-term strategies to tackle the inexorable impacts of climate change. However, given the challenges faced by this popular and world-renowned national park, the National Park Service, its partners and US civil society do an extraordinary job of maintaining Yosemite's outstanding natural attributes. Nevertheless, US national parks are facing escalating challenges from government changes which impact staff numbers and funding for operational and management needs, further enhanced by increasing climate change impacts. This creates uncertainty regarding the medium-term impact on sustainable finance for essential management activities.
Good practice examples
The Zero Landfill Project should greatly reduce the need for landfill facilities. Research, monitoring, interpretation and education in Yosemite are all world class.
Exceptional natural beauty
High Concern
Trend
Deteriorating
Yosemite has exceptional natural beauty, including some of the world's highest waterfalls, stupendous granite domes and walls, deeply incised valleys, groves of giant sequoia (the world's most massive tree), numerous alpine meadows, lakes, and a great diversity of habitats and species. Some buildings intrude on the scenic beauty, and over-crowding, traffic congestion and noise can mar the experience of many visitors (NPCA 2024a, National Park Service 2022a and 2023). Haze caused by air pollution from outside the park and from wildfires can obscure vistas (NPCA 2024a, NPS 2024d). The park-management authority, despite its dedication to the park, has been challenged in recent years through cuts to funding and threats of more cuts (NPCA, 2023 and 2024c; Gardner and Gonzales, 2025). Under such circumstances, air quality and aesthetics will likely continue to suffer. Wildfires whose intensity and frequency are exacerbated by climate change (NPS, 2023; California Air Resources Board, 2024; Jenkins, 2022; Price et al, 2024) threaten tracts of natural vegetation, including giant sequoias, which could also seriously degrade natural scenery.
Unique and pronounced landform features and a unique example of the effects of glaciation on granitic domes
Good
Trend
Stable
Glacial action has carved the granite bedrock into an awe-inspiring landscape, including distinctive polished domes, hanging valleys, tarns, moraines and U-shaped valleys. Iconic features such as Half Dome and El Capitan are classic examples of geologic history. Problems such as air pollution, fire, noise, over-crowding and climate change affect the park's scenery and ecological integrity but have little impact on Yosemite's landforms.
Assessment of the current state and trend of World Heritage values
Deteriorating
The scenery, ambience and biological assets of Yosemite National Park are threatened and sometimes adversely affected by air pollution, over-crowding, congestion, invasive alien species, intensifying wildfires, and the other ecological impacts of climate change. A world-class management agency backed by a powerful legal framework works hard to address these challenges. Yosemite's monumental landforms will endure, but its biological attributes (whose scenic beauty constitutes part of the property's OUV) face serious and intensifying threats.
Assessment of the current state and trend of other important biodiversity values
High Concern
Deteriorating
The escalating impacts of climate change, altered fire regimes and invasive species threaten (and in some cases have already damaged) the property's biological assets and ecological integrity. A comprehensive program of research and monitoring documents the state and trends of critical biological attributes. It is not clear whether the management actions triggered by these programs are sufficient to protect these values into the long term.
Additional information
Water provision (importance for water quantity and quality)
The 302,881 ha Park, of which 94% is federally designated wilderness, includes two relatively pristine watersheds. These watersheds make a significant contribution to the water supplies of the San Francisco Bay area and the cities and irrigation districts of California’s central valley. However, the reservoirs that store this water are an intrusion upon the park's natural characteristics and if alternative means of utilising these catchments' water resources were implemented, a landmark example of environmental restoration could occur.
Recent droughts reduced water quantity and quality. There is concern that global warming will exacerbate drought conditions affecting all species in the future.
History and tradition,
Wilderness and iconic features,
Sacred natural sites or landscapes
Yosemite has been home to Native Americans for millennia. It encompasses sacred sites and landscapes and continues to be part of their spiritual heritage. In addition, the park is an outstanding area for contemplative reflection, one of the most important values of a protected area. Yosemite Valley and the Wilderness that surrounds it are among the world’s most evocative scenery.
Outdoor recreation and tourism
As the over 4 million visitors per year can attest, Yosemite is extremely important for recreation and tourism. It is a major destination for travellers from California, the US, and the world. It contributes substantially to the local and regional economy.
Importance for research
The relatively pristine ecosystems of Yosemite represent an outstanding opportunity to advance society’s understanding of ecological processes and functions. The opportunity to study the ecological role of fire in an area where lightning ignitions can burn under prescribed conditions is very rare in temperate zones. The great exposure of geological formations and land forms make Yosemite a destination for earth scientists to better understand the processes that shape the landscape.
Impacts of roads and other small-scale exploitation in the Yosemite valley detract from the scientific value of this part of the site.
Carbon sequestration
The vast expanses and ranges of elevations in the park make it ideal for climate change mitigation and impact amelioration. The fire program has been successful shifting biomass from smaller trees to larger trees, thereby contributing to carbon sequestration.
There is a concern that climate change could cause large tree decline limiting carbon sequestration, altering biological diversity and exacerbating the spread of invasive species (Gonzalez et al. 2010b, Bradley et al. 2009).
The Yosemite National Park World Heritage site provides many benefits for local, regional, national and international communities, including nature conservation, spiritual values, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Its status as an international icon of natural beauty and wilderness conservation is uncontested. In 2018, visitors to Yosemite National Park were found to have spent $495,245,000 in nearby communities, supporting an estimated 6,184 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $624,129,000 (National Park Service, 2019).
References
| № | References |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Bachmann, D. (2018). The Budget Crunch at America’s National Parks - with increased attendance and crumbling infrastructure, national parks need money. [online] The Revelator, 2 July. Available at: https://therevelator.org/budget-crunch-national-parks [Accessed 16 March 2020].
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| 2 |
Blotkamp, A., Meldrum, B., Morse, W. and Hollenhorst, S.J. (2010). Yosemite National Park visitor study, summer 2009 . Park Studies Unit, Visitor Services Project Report 215. Moscow, Idaho, USA: University of Idaho.
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| 3 |
Bomberg, E. (2017). Environmental politics in the Trump era: an early assessment. Environmental Politics, 26(5), 956-963.
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| 4 |
Bradley, B. A., Oppenheimer, M., & Wilcove, D. S. (2009). Climate change and plant invasions: restoration opportunities ahead?. Global Change Biology, 15(6), 1511-1521.
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| 5 |
California Air Resources Board (2024). Wildfires & Climate Change. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/wildfires-climate-change
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| 6 |
Dolanc, C.R., Thorne, J.H. and Safford, H.D. (2013). Widespread shifts in the demographic structure of subalpine forests in the Sierra Nevada, Clifornia, 1934 to 2007. Global Ecology and Biogeography 22, 264-276.
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| 7 |
Drexler, J. Z., Fuller, C. C., Orlando, J., & Moore, P. E. (2015). Recent rates of carbon accumulation in montane fens of Yosemite National Park, California, USA. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 47(4), 657-669.
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| 8 |
Duriscoe, D.M., (1987). Evaluation of ozone injury to ponderosa and Jeffrey pines in Yosemite National Park, 1985 survey results. Denver, USA: National Park Service, Air Quality Division.
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| 9 |
Environmental Health News (2023a). National Parks' grandeur degraded by global warming. https://www.ehn.org/yosemite-national-park-wildfire-2662246…
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| 10 |
Gardner, J. and Gonzales, A. (2025). How the New Administration’s Actions Will Affect National Parks. National Parks Conservation Association [Online]. Available at: https://www.npca.org/articles/6680-how-the-new-administrati…. [Accessed 8 March 2025].
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| 11 |
Gonzalez, P., Neilson, R. P., Lenihan, J. M., & Drapek, R. J. (2010). Global patterns in the vulnerability of ecosystems to vegetation shifts due to climate change. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 19(6), 755-768.
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