Road Rehab Webinar

For those of you who missed last week's excellent presentation on the road rehab project, the slides, drawings, photos, and a transcript is up on the project website, here:

https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=342&projectID=69154&documentID=111610

Hopefully, a video of the event will be available soon. But since the deadline for the comment period is less than 3 weeks away, I wanted to get this to you ASAP.

Mineral King Road Rehabilitation

Here is a SEKI project right at our cabinstep! Please consider adding your input before May 19, and attending the Virtual Webinar on April 27. Details here: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=69154

National Park Service Seeks Public Input on Project to Rehabilitate

Mineral King Road in Sequoia National Park

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, California April 20, 2021– The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comment on a project to rehabilitate just over 15 miles of Mineral King Road within Sequoia National Park. The existing surface of Mineral King Road is in poor condition, and inadequate drainage along the roadway is causing erosion and is undermining the structural integrity of the road base. The NPS anticipates that construction would begin no sooner than 2023 and would occur over the course of several years.

The NPS, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, is proposing to rehabilitate all 15.29 miles of road within Sequoia National Park, from the park boundary to the Mineral King Valley. The proposed action includes re-paving the roadway within its existing width (including slightly more than one mile which is currently not paved), stabilizing and reinforcing cutslopes and the outside edge of the roadway, replacing and enlarging over 200 culverts, paving six currently unpaved parking lots near the end of the road and adding accessible parking and equivalent experiences where feasible.

Given the short construction season at high elevations, temporary road closures would likely be necessary throughout construction.

Learn More and Provide Input

For information about the proposed project and to provide comments, please visit the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MineralKingRoadRehab.



Comments that provide insights about the current proposed action and potential mitigations around public closures are particularly helpful.

Written comments may be sent via mail or hand-delivery to:

Superintendent

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Attn: Mineral King Road Project

47050 Generals Highway

Three Rivers, CA 93271

All comments about this project must be transmitted, postmarked, or hand-delivered by May 19, 2021.

Virtual Public Meeting

Interested parties can also participate in a virtual webinar on Tuesday, April 27 at 4:00 p.m. (PST). For additional information on the webinar, visit the PEPC project website, listed above.

Following the public comment period, the NPS will analyze and consider all feedback, will modify and evaluate the proposed action as appropriate, and will move toward finalizing environmental reviews in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other applicable laws and policies.

Missing Jim Ingram: handyman, Christian, musician, "Ben Harris"

We lost another Mineral King pioneer last Wednesday.

Jim Ingram was a stalwart member of the Mineral King community who truly enjoyed giving to others and constantly volunteered his expertise to help in any way he could. He was both on the board of the Mineral King Preservation Society and the Mineral King District Association for decades. Jim was one of the driving forces behind saving the cabins in Mineral King with the changing lease terms with the National Park service.

Jim was constantly engaged, learning new things, sharing his knowledge and fixing things that other people couldn't. His last onsite service call was just a week before his passing when he fixed a signal light in Tehachapi.

I know that many of us have had our lives changed by Jim and his kindness.

A celebration of life will occur, but the family and I are waiting to make some decisions and I will release more info when the time is right. Meanwhile the family would love to hear any stories you have of Jim and/or photos. You can either email these to idecingram@gmail.com or mail them to 1744 E Caldwell Ave, Visalia CA 93292.

We all recognize that Jim was firmly focused on Jesus Christ and is with Him now.

Forrest Jones

Free Entrance to National Parks for Veterans and Gold Star Families

The Interagency Annual Military Pass has been expanded to include both veterans and Gold Star Families. On November 11, 2020, agencies began issuing Interagency Military Passes to veterans and Gold Star Families upon request and with proof of eligibility as described below. 

 For purposes of this program, a veteran is identified as an individual who has served in the US Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and is able to present one of the following forms of identification or the Interagency Military Pass when entering a national park: 

• Department of Defense Identification Card (CAC Card) 
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) 
• Veteran ID Card 
• Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card 

Free access is for the veteran or the holder of the Gold Star Family voucher as well as travelling companions who are occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle OR the veteran or voucher-holder and three persons (16 and older) where per person fees are charged. Click https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/veterans-and-gold-star-families-free-access.htm for details and more information. 

And thank you for your sacrifice!