Funds from the Yosemite Conservancy will help rebuild a trail around Tenaya Lake/Kurt Repanshek file

Once upon a time, national park friends groups were viewed as providing the "margin of excellence" for the parks. Nowadays, though, they're being relied on more and more for operational needs. That's evident in the $12.5 million worth of projects the Yosemite Conservancy is funding this year in Yosemite National Park.

Some of that money is being spent to improve your experience when visiting Bridalveil Fall, some to rebuild a section of the trail around Tenaya Lake, and some to collect data using 3-D aerial mapping to improve resource management parkwide.

“We want everyone’s visit to Yosemite to be inspiring, just like the park itself, today and for future generations. Our grants focus on protecting and preserving the park and enhancing the visitor experience,” said Yosemite Conservancy President Frank Dean.

Projects funded by donors to the Conservancy include trail and habitat restoration, wildlife management and education programs, among others. In 2018 funding will go towards a major project to restore Bridalveil Fall involving improvements to trails, viewpoints and traffic circulation, and habitat protection at the 620-foot waterfall in Yosemite Valley.

Another grant will help scientists use data from airborne laser scanning to produce a 3-D map of Yosemite to learn about and help manage forest health, drought impacts and rockfall hazards. Support also will help complete the trail loop around Tenaya Lake, Yosemite’s high country “jewel.”

“Conservancy contributions catalyze important work in the park, such as projects to repair popular trails and restore meadows; make roads safer for bears; and preserve vast historical collections,” said Yosemite Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “That work occurs because of the generosity of Conservancy donors and the dedicated employees of Yosemite National Park.”

With grant funding, park aquatic biologists will be releasing native red-legged frogs, and wheelchair athletes will use adaptive equipment to scale rock walls, thanks to the No Limits program. On the slopes of Yosemite’s highest peaks, glacier researchers will study the park’s retreating ice fields. In Lyell Canyon, crews will be rehabilitating a critical wetland and rebuilding portions of the John Muir Trail.

Other grants fund the “Ask a Climber” station, where thousands of visitors each year learn about the vertical wilderness and the adventurers who explore and steward it. Youth in Yosemite Programs will help young people learn about and give back to the park while earning their Junior Ranger badges, embarking on their first backpacking trip or exploring careers with public lands experts.