I think one of the hottest but overlooked stories of last year was the merging of 2 of the major organizations responsible for helping out around Yosemite, the Yosemite Fund and the Yosemite Association.
For those of you not familiar with them, the Yosemite Fund is the organization responsible for providing the funding for the rehabilitation of the Tunnel View Overlook, Olmsted Point Overlook and the Yosemite Falls Trail. The Yosemite Association has long been known for it’s great publications and educational materials and for the wonderful webcams we all love.
The is be completed in mid-2010 with former Yosemite Superintendent Mike Tollefson taking the helm of the new organization. After the merger Yosemite Association programs including hikes and books are expected to continue but funds from books will now join the funds from private contributors to complete some bigger and more auspicious community projects within the park planned by the Yosemite Fund.
Unfortunately Yosemite Association members will no longer select the trustess for their organization.
The new integrated Council will have responsibility for electing the board of trustees of the unified organization. The board of trustees will make decisions based on input from staff, members of the Council, supporters, the Park Service and other constituencies served by the unified organization. The expanded Council, board of trustees and committees will reflect the expanded purposes and functions of the unified organization.
For more information on the merger or to find out what other changes are taking place, visit the Yosemite Fund website Consolidation Q&A page.
Comments
2 responses to “Did you miss it? Yosemite Fund and Yosemite Association Merged”
This is funny, or maybe ironic. In the mid-1980s the YA and YF split so YA could concentrate on education and YF on fund raising. Now that the YA doesn’t do education any longer or even publish many books and has serious money problems, they are merging back together.
Here’s another take on this: In 1986 the NPS told YA to divest itself of its capital fundraising arm so YA created YF. Despite the economy, YA had another good year in 2009, well in the black, and it was YF that first suggested a re-uniting of equals. YA publishes new titles every year and had three new books as finalists in a national parks publication competition last month. YA’s ongoing education programs reach thousands of people with high quality content every year and are detailed at http://www.yosemite.org. This reunification is a success story for the park.