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A peaceful meadow — home to coyotes, bear, deer and a clan of some 200 genetically distinct great gray owls – has been donated to Yosemite National Park by Robin and Nancy Wainwright. The 400-acre Ackerson Meadow is home to the federally endangered southwestern willow flycatcher and the great gray owls who are known for having the world’s largest length.
“This meadow is a remarkable gift to the American people, coming at a historic time as we celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service,” said Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher. “The generous donation of Ackerson Meadow will preserve critical meadow habitat that is home to a number of state and federally listed protected species.”
The Wainwrights’ donation was made possible by the Trust for Public Land who purchased the Ackerson Meadow from the private owners for $2.3 million earlier this year. The trust contributed $1.53 million toward the purchase and the Yosemite Conservancy contributed $520,000. Additional funding came from the National Park Trust and American Rivers.
The Wainwright’s have owned Ackerson Meadow since 2006. They sold it to the Trust for Public Land at a loss based on a lucrative offer from a developer looking to build a resort. The Associated Press reported that Robin Wainwright lost a “few hundred thousand dollars” in opted to forego the developer’s offer.
David Sutton, the trust’s California land conservation director said, “Ultimately, however, they wanted to see it become part of Yosemite.”
The 400 acres is a relatively small addition to the national park. It is less than two-thirds of a square mile being added to Yosemite’s existing 1,169 square miles of land. But the parcel is home to crucial wetlands. The donation marks park’s largest expansion since 1949.
The National Park Service said in a statement that, “At just three percent of Yosemite’s National Park’s area, meadows may be home to one-third of all the plant species in the park. Most of San Francisco’s water is filtered by Yosemite’s meadows, including Ackerson Meadow.”
According to the New York Times, parcels like Ackerson Meadow provide critical habitats for hundreds of plants and animals, including humans. Visitors on the way to visit Hetch Hetchy reservoir pass Ackerson Meadow, most of whom are unaware that San Francisco’s drinking water is filtered there.
But not everyone has supported the private property being turned over to the federal government’s Yosemite National Park. Ackerson Meadow has fattened beef cattle and been a logging site for more than 100 years.
“That will no longer happen,” said Shaun Crook, president of the Tuolumne County Farm Bureau. “I fear we’ll lose the value of that meadow” adding that both logging and cattle ranching are being replaced and run out of business.
However, Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land said, “Donating the largest addition since 1949 to one of the world’s most famous parks is a great way to celebrate the 100th birthday of the National Park Service – and honor John Muir’s original vision for the park.”
