By VINCE REMBULAT
209 staff reporter
The Sierra Club isn’t too thrilled about the name changes taking place at Yosemite National Park.
The grassroots organization that works to protect the ecology, encourage smart energy solutions, and create an enduring legacy for America’s wilderness went on social media Thursday to call it “corporate greed.”
“Delaware North, the company that recently lost a bid to run Yosemite’s hotels, restaurants and outdoor activities demands to be paid for the names of iconic hotels and other landmarks in Yosemite including the park’s name itself,” according to the Sierra Club Facebook post.
With that said, park officials noted that Curry Village will soon become known as Half Dome Village while the Ahwahnee will be renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel.
The Sierra Club is no stranger to such issues. Over the years, the organization founded by naturalist John Muir – it was officially incorporated in San Francisco back in 1892 – has been involved in a variety of causes, from environmental justice and clean air to toxic waste and responsible trade.
About 10 years ago, the Sierra Club prevented the Bush Administration from allowing commercial logging in Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Locally, the “Stockton” Sierra-Delta Group, “Modesto” Yokuts Group, and the “Sonora” Tuolumne Group make up the Mother Lode Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Most of the leaders here are experienced in leading hikes while having a great knowledge of many open space areas and parks in the Central Gold Country, Mokelumne Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest, Carson-Iceburg Wilderness and Yosemite, to name a few.
The Sierra Club encourages members as well as non-members to get outside and enjoy nature.
The organization offers a variety of outings via meet-up groups. They’ll do activities such as hiking, backpacking, biking, canoeing, and rafting.
The difficulty of the outing will vary and is usually rated with a classification.
“We generally meet at a designated local parking area and then carpool to the event site (though Sierra Club does not officially organize carpools) which can be located nearby or several hours away. We also have fun off the trail with social events such as dinners, movie nights, Christmas parties and potluck,” said the local website (www.meetup.com/S-M-SierraClub).
Cost to the for membership can start off as low as $25 and includes a free field messenger gab along with a one-year subscription to Sierra magazine, automatic membership in the local chapter, and discounts on Sierra Club calendars, books and other merchandise.
Membership can be conducted by logging on to www.sierraclub.org.