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Summary
Board and Staff
Sales and Publications
Membership
Seminars
Ostrander Ski Hut
Wilderness Center
Yosemite Theater
Art Activity Center
Statement of Financial Position
Statement of Activities, 2000
Park Highlights for 2000
SUMMARY
The last year of the millennium offered the Yosemite Association a number
of challenges that caused us to re-think our normal operating and business
models. With visitors demonstrating new travel patterns, program preferences,
spending habits, and circulation trends, YA considered and implemented new
initiatives to respond to these changes so that it can continue successfully
to serve our members, visitors, the NPS, and the park community.
To contend with declining revenues in our existing bookstores in the park, the association opened several new and remodeled sales outlets. In the day-use parking area at Camp 6, we located a bookstore and information center in a portable yurt. In June of 2000, we opened the Yosemite Store and Visitor Center in the historic downtown area of Mariposa, one of the park's gateway communities. The renovated Museum Store proved very successful, with a 35% increase in sales. Our online sales facility, the Yosemite Store, was upgraded and improved, with sales growing by over 200%.
The single biggest factor in our overall sales decrease was the decline for the fifth consecutive year at the Yosemite Valley Visitor store (it was down 15% from a disappointing 1999). For a variety of reasons, people are not visiting that facility in historic numbers, and their purchases have dropped disturbingly. The main cause was the relocation of day-use parking to a location at some distance from the visitor center.
Besides our drop in sales revenue, YA also had to contend with disappointing years for both Yosemite Field Seminars and Yosemite Theater. Each program saw its attendance figures shrink to an all time low. Because of the resulting financial downturn, we solicited our membership for donations to support the Student Intern Program, and were pleased to receive nearly $30,000 in response.
Despite these challenges, YA continued its success in most areas. Our publications continued to be honored for their quality (six awards from the NPS at the 2000 APPL convention, as well as recognition from the American Association of Museums), we produced a number of fine new books (A Guide to Sequoia Groves of California, Ho! For Yosemite, a new edition of Easy Day Hikes, A Photographer's Guide to Yosemite, and the Junior Ranger & Little Cub Handbooks), and our partnership with the NPS and Yosemite Concession Services in the bear canister rental program and the Keep Bears Wild educational effort was a strong and rewarding one.
The year also brought one of YA's first major personnel changes in quite some time. Long-time membership coordinator, Holly Warner, retired after fourteen years of service, leaving a legacy of excellence; new Membership Director, Laurel Rematore, hopes to continue the tradition.
Through challenge and change, we have appreciated the support of our members, vendors, partners, and friends. Beyond their financial contributions of dues and donations, our members have given our organization vitality throught their active participation in our affairs, volunteer programs, and member events.
The result of
YA's hard work and perseverance this year was a donation to the National Park
Service of $460,094. The funds were used to support interpretation, education,
research, resource management, search and rescue, and other programs in the
park.
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to our efforts.
Steven P. Medley,
President
The complexion
of the YA Board of Trustees changed slightly in 2000. With the expiration
of his two six-year terms, veteran board member Dan Wolfus left the board
at the end of the year. One of the early trustees of the Yosemite Fund before
joining the YA board, Mr. Wolfus made many contributions to Yosemite and our
organization during his fifteen years of service. With his background in banking,
he was a natural as Treasurer for the association, a post he held for some
ten years. He also generously opened his home in Wawona for a variety of meetings
and social events. We deeply appreciate the commitment of Dan Wolfus and his
family to YA's efforts over the years.
Elected to replace Mr. Wolfus is Phil Frank, the noted cartoonist for the
San Francisco Chronicle. For years Mr. Frank has contributed his drawings
and other talents at the park, and his daily strip entitled "Farley"
has featured a number of Yosemite-related topics. He lives in Sausalito with
his wife, Susan, and maintains studios in locations as varied as a houseboat,
a clock tower, and a farm pumphouse. Everyone at the Yosemite Association
welcomes Phil and Susan to the organization, and looks forward to benefiting
from the experience and sense of humor that comes with their involvement.
In staff changes, one of YA's longest-term employees retired in December.
Membership coordinator Holly Warner, who spent fourteen years in the position,
decided she'd like to experience Yosemite as a typical park visitor might,
and to free up more of her time for gardening, yoga, pets, travel, and more.
Ms. Warner was responsible for engineering the growth of YA's membership from
2,000 when she began to over 8,000 at her retirement. She distinguished herself
with her congenial demeanor and personal approach towards our members, who
came to know her as a friend. We wish Holly a rewarding and satisfying retirement,
and thank her for her years of service and hard, productive work.
Filling Holly's vacant position is Laurel Rematore, an active YA member and
volunteer. She left her university relations position with Cadence Design
Systems to become Membership Director, and her work experience includes many
years in human relations with Lockheed-Martin. Laurel has set lofty goals
for herself in terms of new member acquisition, and she hopes to continue
the tradition of personalized "member relations" that has come to
characterize her department. We wish Laurel best of luck and all success in
her new position.
In other staff changes, Ferol Conklin was hired to replace April Rose as Assistant
Sales Manager, and Leah Mills took over as Warehouse Manager from Shaina Zelazo.
SALES
AND PUBLICATIONS
The sales and publications program had a disappointing year in terms of net
income, but a number of positive accomplishments distinguished the year in
other areas. Several new "bear awareness" products were developed,
including a stuffed bear with ear tag and "Keep Bears Wild" t-shirt
and enamel pin. New publications were The Photograher’s Guide to Yosemite,
Guide to the Sequoia Groves of California, Easy Day Hikes in Yosemite
(revised edition), Ho! For Yosemite, the Junior Ranger Handbook,
and The Little Cub Handbook (the last two titles are children’s
activity books).
Two new sales facilities were opened: a store in downtown Mariposa and a portable
yurt information/sales outlet in the day use parking area in Camp 6 in Yosemite
Valley. As it became better developed later in the summer, the yurt began
to show great promise for total sales. The Mariposa store did not perform
as well financially as we had hoped, but improvements are planned for next
season.
At the biennial conference of the Association of Partners for Public Lands,
the National Park Service recognized YA publications with awards in six different
categories. Three titles received first place honors (Fur and Loafing in
Yosemite,The Waterfalls of Yosemite, and Such A Landscape!),
and three others were named for "Honorable Mention" recognition.
YA also earned an award from the American Association of Museums for the design
of the fundraising mailing sent in conjunction with the development of our
illustrated flora.
In 2000 YA also began operation of a new online store (replacing an older,
more primitive version) as a component of our web site. The store can be accessed
from our web site, from the National Park Service web site, and directly by
going to www.yosemitestore.com. Receipts from the store nearly quadrupled
those of the year before.
The single biggest factor in our overall sales decrease was the decline for
the fifth consecutive year at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center store (it
was down 15% from a disappointing 1999). For a variety of reasons, people
are not visiting that facility in historic numbers, and their purchases have
dropped disturbingly. Our efforts to offset this loss in our other outlets
have not been successful. One promising indicator is that the newly remodeled
Museum Store saw revenues increase by nearly 50%, and if the Camp 6 yurt becomes
established, it may add considerable income.
MEMBERSHIP
During
2000, YA enrolled 897 new members, and at the end of the year maintained a
total membership of 8,500. One of the programs that helped attract new members
was the "Membership in a Bottle" campaign. Though initiated on a
limited basis only at the end of summer, some 70 "bottled" memberships
(all member information and materials are packed in a wide-mouth water bottle
featuring a YA logo) were sold in our various sales facilities in the first
three months.
Other notable highlights include:
• 485 members attended the YA Spring Forum in March in Yosemite Valley.
During this daylong program, they attended sessions on shaping the Sierra
(Nature, Culture & Conflict in the West), California conifers, Buffalo
Soldiers, current park issues, a Sierra snowflake’s pathway to the sea,
and a high country winter odyssey. Members also enjoyed the interpretive walks
on a variety of topics such as "Bear Tales," "Yosemite’s
Vanishing Amphibians," "Walking Through History," and "Firemaking,
Miwok Style," among many other interesting choices.
• Sixty YA members participated in four different work trips helping
the National Park Service (NPS) Resources Management Division with their trail
work, revegetation, and yellow star thistle control projects in Yosemite Valley,
Tuolumne Meadows, El Portal, and Glacier Point. Collectively, they donated
over 1660 hours of enthusiastic volunteer labor.
• Thirty-two members served as month-long volunteers in Yosemite Valley,
assisting the NPS and the Association with a variety of tasks, acting as docents
to thousands of people who visited the Museum Gallery, introducing Yosemite
Theater productions, and introducing the park’s orientation slideshow
to many visitors. These folks also staffed the YA Information/Membership booth
where they signed up 296 new members, bringing in over $14,000 in new memberships,
renewals and donations for the Association. Six YA members volunteered for
a month or longer in Tuolumne Meadows, greeting numerous seminar participants
in the campground, opening Parson’s Lodge daily for the public, and assisting
the TM Bear Program by educating the public about keeping food away from bears.
• The late David Brower made one of his last public appearances addressing
300 members as the featured speaker for the 25th Annual Meeting in Wawona
in September 2000.
• In response to a special appeal, YA members and other supporters generously
contributed over $29,000 toward the Yosemite Student Intern Program.
SEMINARS
The 2000 seminar catalog featured historical photographs from the Yosemite
School of Field Natural History, the early inspiration for Yosemite Field
Seminars. The school ceased in 1953, and in 1971 Yosemite Filed Seminars was
founded to continue its tradition of offering quality outdoor education to
enhance the Yosemite experience.
A total of 65 courses were offered including twelve winter seminars, several
of which included lodging arranged in cooperation with Yosemite Concession
Services. New offerings included Wukchumne Berry Basket teaching Miwok basketry
technique, a nature writing course entitled A Walk in the Wild, and Capturing
Light in Color in the Landscape, a photography methods class. Among our more
popular seminars were a seven-day backpack in The Clark Range for advanced
hikers, and Birds of Yosemite Valley, that allowed participants to sharpen
their bird identification skills.
Despite these diverse classes, enrollments were at their lowest level in eleven
years – only 620 people attended seminars in 2000. Low enrollments contributed
to the program's disappointing financial performance and an alarming negative
net income.
YA continued its operation of the Ostrander Lake Ski Hut in 2000 at the request of the National Park Service. During the 1999-2000 winter season, the hut's septic system was closed and guests began using metal storage cans that allowed removal of all waste at the end of the year. The "Jon-ny Partner" system that was chosen seems to be a success. Howard Weamer and George Durkee continued as hutkeepers.
The Wilderness Center, operated cooperatively by YA and the NPS, continued to serve as the main hub for the backcountry reservation system for the park, and added a new function. During 2000 YA and Yosemite Concession Services, the chief concessioner, pooled their bear canister inventories and began a cooperative rental program that allows backpackers to rent canisters at a number of locations in Yosemite and return them wherever it is convenient. YA members and other supporters donated several thousand dollars to help with the purchase of new canisters to ensure that there was an adequate supply for all interested users.
Yosemite Theatre celebrated its seventeenth season of providing quality interpretive and educational programs to park visitors. Actor Lee Stetson added a new program entitled The Tramp and the Roughrider to his venue this year. The play details the historic meeting in Yosemite of President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir. Actress Connie Stetson portrayed a pioneer woman living among the 49ers in her "Sarah Hawkins" performances. Gail Lynne Dreifus and the Recycled String Band entertained visitors young and old with original, Yosemite-based songs and stories, while paraplegic climber Mark Wellman showed visitors his film on overcoming disabilities and finding success in various extreme sports.
For the nineteenth season, classes in drawing, sketching, painting, drawing, clay, Mexican paper sculpture, and photography were conducted at the Art Activity Center. The center opened in April and continued operation through mid-October plus Thanksgiving week. Twenty-six instructors taught free classes 7 days per week for park visitors and local residents. The program, promoting individual creativity in the Yosemite environment, is offered jointly by YA, the NPS, and Yosemite Concession Services.
STATEMENT
OF FINANCIAL POSITION
For year ending December 31, 2000
| ASSETS | |
| Cash and cash equivalents |
$282,504
|
| Accounts receivable |
83,112
|
| Prepaid expenses |
48,723
|
| Inventory |
898,366
|
| Property and equipment |
86,015
|
| TOTAL ASSETS |
$1,398,720
|
| LIABILITIES | |
| Trade accounts payable |
$106,865
|
| Deferred seminar revenue |
59,046
|
| Royalties payable |
26,313
|
| Sales tax payable |
4,600
|
| Vacation payable |
20,350
|
| TOTAL LIABILITIES |
$217,174
|
|
NET ASSETS |
|
| Unrestricted: | |
|
Designated for programs |
$8,107
|
|
Undesignated |
743,688
|
| Temporarily restricted |
279,751
|
| Contingency reserve |
150,000
|
| TOTAL NET ASSETS |
1,181,546
|
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS |
$1,398,720
|
| UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS | |
| REVENUE: | |
| Publication sales |
$1,561,586
|
| Seminars |
142,092
|
| Memberships |
367,745
|
| Investment income |
11,476
|
| Theater |
47,214
|
| Wilderness Center |
92,165
|
| Auxiliary activities |
102,006
|
| Designated programs |
69,476
|
|
2,393,760
|
|
| Net assets from restrictions |
159,946
|
|
$2,553,706
|
|
| EXPENSES | |
| Cost of Sales: | |
|
Publication costs |
1,263,319
|
| Auxiliary activities: | |
|
Seminars |
174,513
|
|
Theater |
54,702
|
|
Wilderness Center |
55,123
|
| Supporting services: | |
|
Management and general |
285,067
|
|
Membership |
196,550
|
|
2,029,274
|
|
| Aid to National Park Service |
621,711
|
|
2,650,985
|
|
| DECREASE
IN UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS |
(97,279)
|
| TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS | |
|
Contributions |
25,333
|
|
Auxiliary activities |
157,591
|
|
Restrictions satisfied by payments |
(159,946)
|
| INCREASE
IN TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS |
22,978
|
| DECREASE IN NET ASSETS |
(74,301)
|
| NET ASSETS, AT BEGINNING OF YEAR |
1,255,847
|
| NET ASSETS, AT END OF YEAR |
$1,181,546
|
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2000
January
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added the California bighorn sheep to the
list of endangered species. The population of sheep in the Sierra Nevada had
dwindled to 125.
February
Virginia Best Adams, widow of photographer Ansel Adams and manager of Best's
Studio in Yosemite for almost three decades, died at the age of 96.
A minor rockslide occurred when a piece of rock of unknown size fell from
Middle Brother, located between Yosemite Falls and El Capitan in Yosemite
Valley. There were no reported injuries.
May
The National Park Service issued a ban on all prescribed burns within the
park system following the wildfire that resulted from a small controlled blaze
in New Mexico.
The Glacier Point Road opened for the season on May 15, with the Tioga Road
following two days later.
June
The Merced River Plan, a comprehensive management strategy for the Merced
River corridor in Yosemite National Park, was issued by the National Park
Service.
July
A sewer line serving Yosemite National Park plugged up during a test and spilled
sewage into the Merced River at El Portal. Recreational use of the river was
halted temporarily.
August
Two environmental groups filed a lawsuit to halt implementation of Yosemite's
Merced River Plan, alleging that it fails to adequately protect the river.
A rock slide in Yosemite Valley forced park authorities to take 57 cabins
out of service at Curry Village three days before the busy Labor Day weekend.
No injuries were reported, and only one tent cabin sustained minor damage
from flying rocks.
October
Park officials officially dedicated an improved section of the Arch Rock Road
leading into Yosemite Valley. The 6.4-mile stretch features straightened curves,
lanes widened from 9.5 to 11 feet, and a rebuilt guard wall that meets tougher
federal standards.
November
Legendary environmentalist David R. Brower died at the age of 88. He had been
the guest speaker at the Yosemite Association’s Members’ Meeting
at Wawona in September.
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced the completion of the Yosemite
Valley Plan, the 6-volume management document that will guide future development
and is estimated to cost $441 million.The plan was met with a wide variety
of comments.
December
Researchers reported that pesticides borne aloft by summer winds may be contributing
to the decline of frogs and other beleaguered amphibians in Yosemite and the
Sierra Nevada.