HR 177: Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act

HR 177 in plain English: This bill modifies the Raker Act to increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service for use of Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley from $30,000 to $2 million, adjusted annually for inflation. It also requires the National Park Service to expand public recreational access to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to expand public recreational access to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas within Yosemite National Park, and to increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service for use of the park.

Key points

• Raises San Francisco's annual rent for Hetch Hetchy Valley use from $30,000 to $2 million per year
• Rent amount adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
• San Francisco may not pass the increased rent costs to wholesale water or power customers
• Collected rent funds may be used for wildfire mitigation in Yosemite and other California national parks
• Requires the NPS to open Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin to public recreation

Arguments supporters make

• The public has long been denied fair recreational access to a reservoir sitting inside a national park; this bill restores the equal access that Americans deserve in their own public lands.
• San Francisco has paid only $30,000 a year — a figure set over a century ago — to use valuable parkland; raising rent to $2 million better reflects the true value of the arrangement and generates funds for wildfire protection.
• Expanding swimming, camping, and boating opportunities at Hetch Hetchy gives millions of Californians and visitors new ways to enjoy a scenic area that has effectively been off-limits for generations.

Arguments opponents make

• Opening a drinking water reservoir to swimming, boating, and camping could raise serious water-quality and public health concerns for the millions of people who rely on Hetch Hetchy as their primary water supply.
• A dramatic rent increase, even if blocked from being passed to wholesale customers, could create financial and legal complications for a public utility that serves a major city, potentially affecting ratepayers in indirect ways.
• Critics may argue that allowing motorized vehicle access and expanded recreation near dam infrastructure inside a national park could conflict with water system operations and long-standing conservation protections for Yosemite.

Tradeoffs

Expanding public recreation and raising rental revenue comes at the potential cost of complicating the management of a major urban water supply and dam infrastructure; balancing open public access against water quality and safety requirements for millions of San Francisco-area residents is the central tension.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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