Ending a decade of litigation over development plans for Yosemite Valley, federal officials gave up on Wednesday, agreeing to start from scratch.
Under an agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Fresno, the National Park Service will write a new plan for managing the Merced River and for making improvements in the valley, one of the world's most high-profile tourist destinations.
The park service will kill its current Yosemite Valley Plan, which outlined planned improvements after a large Merced River flood caused extensive damage on the valley floor.
More than $100 million in projects were planned, including rebuilding Yosemite Lodge, replacing campgrounds lost in the flood, rerouting Northside Drive and construction of Curry Village cabins.
The plan drew heated opposition from environmentalists, including some who sought limits on how many visitors could crowd into the park's core.
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