Former first lady Laura Bush visits Yosemite for Tioga Road ceremony
Former first lady Laura Bush, the honorary co-chair for the National Park Service Centennial, visited Yosemite on Tuesday for the “rededication” of Tioga Road.
The event was held precisely 100 years after the original dedication ceremony, park officials said in a news release.
On July 28, 1915, Stephen Mather, who later would become first director of the National Park Service, dedicated the opening of Tioga Road. The route previously was a rutted private toll road through the park. Mather and some friends purchased the 46-mile-long road for $15,000 and donated it to the federal government so it could be repaired and open to all, park officials said in the release.
At the 1915 ceremony, Mather stood at the crest of the Tioga Road and dedicated it by breaking a bottle filled with Pacific Ocean water on a rock with “$15,000” painted on it, symbolizing the purchase price of the road.
On Tuesday, Bush, Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher, and Yosemite Conservancy Vice President Jerry Edelbrock participated in the re-enactment ceremony with two rocks: one marked with a $15,000 commemorating the cost of the road and another with “$15,000,000”, representing roughly what the conservancy raises for the park each year.
Tioga Road is the highest road crossing the Sierra, at an elevation of 9,945 feet above sea level at Tioga Pass. The road is a popular route for the park’s 4 million annual visitors and is generally open May through September.
“I’ve loved our parks for many years and hiked in parks all over the country accompanied by my friends,” Bush said. “I urge all Americans to think about parks in the upcoming year and find their park. I found Yosemite.”
Added Neubacher: “The rededication of Tioga Road reminds us of the importance of protecting remarkable places like Yosemite’s high country and of the need to encourage future generations to visit our parks so they are inspired to be stewards of natural lands.”
The Yosemite Conservancy has helped restore a number of park overlooks, including Tunnel View, Glacier Point and Olmsted Point, which is along Tioga Road.
It also contributes to other high-profile projects: $20 million is being raised for the restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, which will be matched by the National Park Service. A $13.5 million effort restored 100 miles of trails, the largest trail-repair program in park history. Contributions helped reintroduce Bighorn sheep and peregrine falcons and install bear-proof lockers. Another $13.5 million went to the Lower Yosemite Fall project, with more than $11 million from 14,000 contributors. More than $1 million annually goes to programs for youth.
“Even before Congress created the National Park Service in 1916, philanthropists helped to create our stunning national parks. Their commitment remains just as deep today among individuals, families, foundations and corporations,” said Frank Dean, president of the Yosemite Conservancy. “Philanthropy has had a dramatic positive impact on our park system.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Former first lady Laura Bush visits Yosemite for Tioga Road ceremony."