Macaulay Takes Yosemite Gateway Concerns to Capitol Hill
Decisions made inside Yosemite National Park don’t necessarily stay inside Yosemite.
Changes to park access, traffic management and visitor policies can quickly ripple into Oakhurst, Bass Lake and other communities whose businesses, roads and public services are closely connected to millions of people traveling to and from the park each year.
Madera County District 5 Supervisor and Board Chair Bobby Macaulay took that relationship to Capitol Hill Wednesday, testifying before a U.S. House subcommittee in support of legislation that would give gateway communities a more formal role in conversations about how national parks are managed.
Macaulay appeared before the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Federal Lands during a Sept. 2 legislative hearing in Washington, D.C.
He was invited as a witness on H.R. 10128, legislation introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock that would codify an existing Department of the Interior policy known as Secretary’s Order 3434.
The proposal is relatively short, but its implications could be particularly relevant around Yosemite.
What Would the Bill Do?
Secretary’s Order 3434, issued by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in June 2025, is intended to strengthen communication between national parks and the communities surrounding them.
Under the order, National Park Service units are directed to hold quarterly meetings with gateway-community leaders, consider community input when making planning and management decisions, and engage communities early when proposed actions could affect park access, tourism or regional economic activity.
Each park unit is also directed to designate a Gateway Community Coordinator to serve as a primary contact for state, tribal and local officials.
The National Park Service has since designated gateway-community coordinators throughout the park system as part of the Interior Department’s implementation of the policy.
H.R. 10128 would take those requirements out of the realm of an Interior Department policy and put them into federal law.
The bill was introduced by McClintock on Aug. 20 and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. Wednesday’s hearing was one step in the legislative process; the proposal has not yet been approved by Congress.
Why It Matters Around Yosemite
Macaulay’s testimony centered on something mountain-area residents see regularly: Yosemite and its neighboring communities operate on opposite sides of a park boundary, but many of their challenges don’t recognize that line.
Gateway communities provide lodging, restaurants, transportation, emergency response and other services used by park visitors and employees.
At the same time, decisions about Yosemite visitation and access can have an economic impact outside the park.
Macaulay has previously described that relationship in particularly local terms, noting that changes in Yosemite tourism can affect Madera County’s transient occupancy and sales tax revenue — money that ultimately helps support roads, schools and public safety.
The issue has taken on additional significance as Yosemite and its gateway communities have worked through questions surrounding traffic congestion, entrance waits, parking and visitor management.
Madera County said Macaulay used his congressional testimony to point to recent collaboration around Yosemite access as an example of what can happen when park officials and surrounding communities work together.
The county argues that making that type of communication a permanent requirement would help ensure gateway communities have a place in discussions before major park decisions are made.
From Department Policy to Federal Law
Order 3434 is already in effect.
That distinction is important.
H.R. 10128 would not create the relationship between Yosemite and its surrounding communities from scratch. Instead, it would codify requirements that the Department of the Interior has already begun implementing.
The Interior Department says the National Park Service has designated a gateway-community coordinator at every unit of the National Park System and is working to ensure regular engagement with surrounding communities.
The broader effort also ties into the EXPLORE Act, federal legislation addressing outdoor recreation and coordination between public-land agencies and neighboring communities.
Supporters of H.R. 10128 argue that putting Order 3434 into law would provide greater permanence and ensure those communication requirements continue beyond changes in presidential administrations or Interior Department leadership.
The legislation does not give local governments authority over National Park Service decisions. Rather, it would formalize requirements for consultation and communication before and during decisions that can affect surrounding communities.
A Local Voice in Washington
For Madera County, Wednesday’s hearing provided an opportunity to put the Yosemite gateway experience before federal lawmakers.
“I am very grateful for the support of our representative, Tom McClintock, in bringing this bill forward,” Macaulay said in a county statement following the hearing. “Collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies is paramount in protecting our public lands.”
Macaulay’s appearance also follows other recent efforts by Yosemite-area leaders to strengthen communication with federal officials.
In June, Macaulay joined representatives from communities and organizations surrounding Yosemite in a meeting with Interior Secretary Burgum that included McClintock, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation Chairperson Sandra Chapman, Visit Yosemite | Madera County CEO Rhonda Salisbury, Yosemite Conservancy President and CEO Cassius Cash, Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden and representatives from Mariposa, Tuolumne and Mono counties.
For communities around Yosemite, the debate over H.R. 10128 ultimately comes down to how much of a voice the people outside a national park should have when decisions inside its boundaries affect life beyond them.
Wednesday’s testimony gave one of Yosemite’s gateway communities a seat at that conversation.