Political Quotes

“I rise to introduce the Ackerson Meadow Land Exchange Act. This legislation will facilitate a simple land exchange between the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service in the Sierra Nevadas. This bill would transfer 160 acres of Stanislaus National Forest land to the National Park Service to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park Service to be managed as part of the Yosemite National Park and transfer 170 acres of National Park land to the Forest Service to manage as part of Stanislaus National Forest. The land in the exchange is known as Ackerson Meadow. Ackerson Meadow is one of the largest midelevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada. It is an ecologically and regionally critical wildlife corridor, and the scenic meadow is an important habitat for the State endangered great grey owl and little willow flycatcher, as well as a suite of additional at-risk wildlife species. In 2016, a coalition of conservation groups donated Ackerson Meadow to Yosemite National Park; however, it is almost completely surrounded by Stanislaus National Forest and only partially contiguous to the rest of Yosemite National Park. The current configuration of land management presents logistical challenges to both NPS and Forest Service; therefore, both Agencies, as well as local stakeholders, support this land exchange. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this straightforward legislation to better manage the land in and around Ackerson Meadow. ______”