Yosemite Commercial Use Office’s Questionnaire
Since Yosemite Close Up LLC has been operating tours in Yosemite for the last 9 years, we were asked by Yosemite’s Commercial Use Office to complete this questionnaire regarding our plans for the 2020 season. Here are the questions and our answers:
- Once the park opens do you plan to continue operating in the park during the remainder of 2020? No. We have not applied for either of our Yosemite tour permits, and we have cancelled the necessary commercial insurance policies for 2020.
- If you do plan to continue to operate in the park,… No.
- Are you developing operational guidelines to manage your clients’ exposure to Covid-19? No.
- If we were to limit the number of day use visitors to the park would you be able to operate bringing smaller groups to the park? No.
- Not Applicable.
- Do you have any comments or suggestions that you would like us to consider as we develop our plans for opening the park while minimizing exposure of visitors to one another at high visitation areas? Yes.
- Both the back-country and Yosemite Valley can be opened by allowing day-use on trails. Rock-climbing probably needs special considerations, but how would one draw lines between Class 1, walking, Class 3, scrambling, and the more difficult climbing grades?
- Services in Yosemite Valley must continue to conform to state-mandated or higher social-distancing guidelines. Information tables for visitors can be set up outside the Visitor Center, where Facelift and other events are held. Can Yosemite Conservancy provide masks at entrances to Visitor Centers where books and maps are sold and at other localities where it is advisable?
- Back-country, overnight permits can be issued on-line with the provision that each permit holder is required to be issued a parking permit for the vehicle indicated on their permit.
- In addition, please provide the option for two parties, coordinated, who may want to cross each other/meet in the back country and take each other’s vehicles back to a previously agreed upon locality for re-connection, then return to their respective homes.