FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Visitors to Yosemite National Park in California have more room to roam after officials on Wednesday announced a 400-acre expansion of the park — its largest in nearly 70 years.

The addition features wetlands and a grassy meadow surrounded by tall pine trees on rolling hills that are home to endangered wildlife.

Ackerson Meadow is located along Yosemite's western boundary. The area was purchased from private owners by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit conservation group, for $2.3 million and donated to the park.

This undated photo provided by The Trust for Public Land shows Ackerson Meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Visitors to the park now have more room to explore nature with the announcement on Wed. Sept. 7, 2016 that the park's western boundary has expanded to include Ackerson Meadow, 400 acres of tree-covered Sierra Nevada foothills, grassland and a creek that flows into the Tuolumne River. This is the park's biggest expansion in nearly 70 years, and will serve as wildlife habitat. (Robb Hirsch/The Trust for Public Land via AP)

Officials told The Associated Press that Yosemite will preserve the land — historically used for logging and cattle grazing — as habitat for wildlife such as the great grey owl, the largest owl in North American and listed as endangered by California wildlife officials.

Robin and Nancy Wainwright, who owned the land since 2006, sold it to the trust. Robin Wainwright said they lost a "few hundred thousand dollars" passing up a lucrative offer from a developer to build a resort.

He said he often saw bears strolling through the meadow and owls soaring over fields of vibrant wildflowers blooming in the springtime. He didn't want that experience available only to those who could afford a resort.

"To have that accessible by everyone to me is just a great thing," Wainwright said. "It was worth losing a little bit of money for that."

The park's boundary has seen some minor changes over the years, but this expansion is the largest since 1949 to the park of nearly 750,000 acres total, park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

More than 4.5 million people are expected to visit Yosemite this year, which Gediman said would set a record for the park that celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.

Visitors pass Ackerson Meadow on their way to Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which provides drinking water to San Francisco.

The land was bought with $1.53 million from the Trust for Public Land and $520,000 from the Yosemite Conservancy, which supports a variety of projects in the park. Anonymous donors contributed the rest, Gediman said.

"We are delighted and proud to make this gift to Yosemite and the people of America," said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land.

The land completes the park's original plans from 1890, which included Ackerson Meadow, said Yosemite Conservancy's President Frank Dean.

"It's a stunning open meadow surrounded by forest habitat, which supports a wide variety of flora and fauna," said Park Superintendent Don Neubacher. </s> FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Yosemite National Park is expanding with the donation of Ackerson Meadow, an area of wetlands and grassy meadows surrounded by forests. It is the park's largest addition in nearly seven decades.

Here's a look at what it is:

The addition increases Yosemite's total space of nearly 750,000 acres by 400 acres.

It forms a new part of Yosemite's western boundary. Visitors travel by it on their way to the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies San Francisco with drinking water.

It features wetlands and a grassy meadow surrounded by tall pine trees on rolling hills. It is home to wildlife with federal and state protection, such as the great grey owl, the largest owl in North American and listed as endangered by California wildlife officials.

The land was bought from a private owner for $2.3 million. Robin Wainwright said he and his wife, Nancy, sold it to the Trust for Public Land at a slight loss. But they prefer that it go to Yosemite so the public can enjoy it, rather than selling it to developer.

The trust orchestrated the donation, putting up most of the money — $1.53 million. The Yosemite Conservancy contributed $520,000, and anonymous donors put up the rest. </s> Visitors to Yosemite National Park will soon have more room to roam after officials on Wednesday announced a 400-acre expansion, the largest in nearly 70 years.

The addition to the park in California features wetlands and a grassy meadow surrounded by tall pine trees on rolling hills that are home to endangered wildlife.

Ackerson Meadow is located along Yosemite's western boundary. The area was purchased from private owners by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit conservation group, for $2.3 million and donated to the park.

Officials told The Associated Press that Yosemite will preserve the land — historically used for logging and cattle grazing — as habitat for wildlife such as the great grey owl, the largest owl in North American and listed as endangered by California wildlife officials.

Robin and Nancy Wainwright, who owned the land since 2006, sold it to the trust. Robin Wainwright said they lost a "few hundred thousand dollars" selling to the trust, and the couple also passed up a lucrative offer from a developer to build a resort.

He said he often saw bears strolling through the meadow and owls soaring over fields of vibrant wildflowers blooming in the springtime. He didn't want that experience available only to those who could afford a resort.

"To have that accessible by everyone to me is just a great thing," Wainwright said. "It was worth losing a little bit of money for that."

Shaun Crook, president of the Tuolumne County Farm Bureau, said that not everybody supported turning the private property over to the government.

For at least a century, the grassy Ackerson Meadow has fattened beef cattle and been used for logging, he said.

"That will no longer happen," he said, adding that both industries are being squeezed out of business. "I fear we'll lose the value of that meadow."

The park's boundary has seen some minor changes over the years, but this expansion is the largest since 1949 to the park of nearly 750,000 acres total, park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

More than 4.5 million people are expected to visit Yosemite this year, which Gediman said would set a record for the park that celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.

Other draws to the park include the massive Half Dome rock and the sheer, granite face of El Capitan — both admired by visitors from floor of Yosemite Valley.

Elsewhere in the park stand groves of giant sequoia, some of the oldest and largest living things on Earth.

Visitors pass Ackerson Meadow on their way to Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which provides drinking water to San Francisco.

The land was bought with $1.53 million from the Trust for Public Land and $520,000 from the Yosemite Conservancy, which supports a variety of projects in the park. Anonymous donors contributed the rest, Gediman said.

"We are delighted and proud to make this gift to Yosemite and the people of America," said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land.

The land completes the park's original plans from 1890, which included Ackerson Meadow, said Yosemite Conservancy's President Frank Dean.

"It's a stunning open meadow surrounded by forest habitat, which supports a wide variety of flora and fauna," said Park Superintendent Don Neubacher. </s> In the biggest expansion in 70 years, Yosemite National Park officials announced Wednesday the addition of 400 acres to the park.

The addition features wetlands and a grassy meadow surrounded by tall pine trees on rolling hills that are home to endangered wildlife.

Ackerson Meadow is located along Yosemite’s western boundary. The area was purchased from private owners by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit conservation group, for $2.3 million and donated to the park.

Yosemite will preserve the land — historically used for logging and cattle grazing — as habitat for wildlife such as the great gray owl, the largest owl in North American and listed as endangered by California wildlife officials.

The announcement comes several weeks after President Obama visited Yosemite, where he touted the natural beauty while also warning about the need to protect the park from the ravages of global warming.

He pointed to the drying of Yosemite’s grasslands and the shrinking of its largest glacier, which once stretched a mile wide. He cited shifts in the historic bird ranges and said alpine mammals such as pikas had been forced farther up slopes to escape rising temperatures.

“Fires are raging across the West right now … all while it’s still really early in the season,” he said during his June visit.

The Yosemite expansion comes after three Southern California sites were designated national monuments this year: Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains. Those areas, in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, have helped connect hundreds of miles of the region’s protected wildlands.

Robin and Nancy Wainwright, who owned the Yosemite land since 2006, sold it to the trust. Robin Wainwright said they lost a “few hundred thousand dollars” passing up a lucrative offer from a developer to build a resort.

He said he often saw bears strolling through the meadow and owls soaring over fields of vibrant wildflowers blooming in the springtime. He didn’t want that experience available only to those who could afford a resort.

“To have that accessible by everyone, to me, is just a great thing,” Wainwright said. “It was worth losing a little bit of money for that.”

The park’s boundary has seen some minor changes over the years, but this expansion to the park of nearly 750,000 acres is the largest since 1949, he said.

More than 4.5 million people are expected to visit Yosemite this year, which spokesman Scott Gediman said would set a record for the park, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.

Visitors pass Ackerson Meadow on their way to Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which provides drinking water to San Francisco.

The land was bought with $1.53 million from the Trust for Public Land and $520,000 from the Yosemite Conservancy, which supports a variety of projects in the park. Anonymous donors contributed the rest, Gediman said.

“We are delighted and proud to make this gift to Yosemite and the people of America,” said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land.

The land completes the park’s original plans from 1890, which included Ackerson Meadow, said Yosemite Conservancy’s President Frank Dean.

“It’s a stunning open meadow surrounded by forest habitat, which supports a wide variety of flora and fauna,” said Park Superintendent Don Neubacher.

Op-Ed: Will our national parks survive the next 100 years?

President Obama and the first family to visit Yosemite National Park

3:09 p.m.: This article was updated with more details on the land.

2:45 p.m.: This article was updated with background and new details.

This article was originally published at 2:25 p.m. </s> FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Robin Wainwright could have cashed-in on pristine grassland and forest he owned along the border with Yosemite National Park — building an upscale resort for a few fortunate guests.

Wainwright and his wife Nancy, however, decided to take a slight loss on their investment and sold it to a land trust, which donated it Wednesday to Yosemite.

It expands the park by 400 acres, Yosemite's largest addition in nearly 70 years.

This undated photo provided by The Trust for Public Land shows Ackerson Meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Visitors to the park now have more room to explore nature with the announcement on Wed. Sept. 7, 2016 that the park's western boundary has expanded to include Ackerson Meadow, 400 acres of tree-covered Sierra Nevada foothills, grassland and a creek that flows into the Tuolumne River. This is the park's biggest expansion in nearly 70 years, and will serve as wildlife habitat. (Robb Hirsch/The Trust for Public Land via AP)

The public will soon be able to enjoy the wildlife and natural scenery, such as the explosion of flowers that blossom each spring and bears that often stroll through the property.

"To have that accessible by everyone to me is just a great thing," Robin Wainwright said. "It was worth losing a little bit of money for that."

Ackerson Meadow is located along Yosemite's western boundary. The area was purchased from private owners by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit conservation group, for $2.3 million and donated to the park.

Officials told The Associated Press that Yosemite will preserve the land — historically used for logging and cattle grazing — as habitat for wildlife such as the great grey owl, the largest owl in North American and listed as endangered by California wildlife officials.

Shaun Crook, president of the Tuolumne County Farm Bureau, said that not everybody supported turning the private property over to the government.

For at least a century, the grassy Ackerson Meadow has fattened beef cattle and been used for logging, he said.

"That will no longer happen," he said, adding that both industries are being squeezed out of business. "I fear we'll lose the value of that meadow."

The park's boundary has seen some minor changes over the years, but this expansion is the largest since 1949 to the park of nearly 750,000 acres total, park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

More than 4.5 million people are expected to visit Yosemite this year, which Gediman said would set a record for the park that celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.

Other draws to the park include the massive Half Dome rock and the sheer, granite face of El Capitan — both admired by visitors from floor of Yosemite Valley.

Elsewhere in the park stand groves of giant sequoia, some of the oldest and largest living things on Earth.

Visitors pass Ackerson Meadow on their way to Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which provides drinking water to San Francisco.

The land was bought with $1.53 million from the Trust for Public Land and $520,000 from the Yosemite Conservancy, which supports a variety of projects in the park. Anonymous donors contributed the rest, Gediman said.

"We are delighted and proud to make this gift to Yosemite and the people of America," said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land.

The land completes the park's original plans from 1890, which included Ackerson Meadow, said Yosemite Conservancy's President Frank Dean.

"It's a stunning open meadow surrounded by forest habitat, which supports a wide variety of flora and fauna," said Park Superintendent Don Neubacher. </s> LOS ANGELES, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Yosemite National Park on Wednesday announced its largest expansion in seven decades with the donation by a conservancy group of a large meadow surrounded by trees that will be home to dozens of endangered species.

Ackerson Meadow at the western edge of the current park was purchased from a private couple earlier this year by the Trust for Public Land for $2.3 million and donated to the National Park Service, a Yosemite spokeswoman said.

The gift of 400 acres (161.87 hectares) of land marks the largest expansion of Yosemite, which was first protected in 1864 and encompasses nearly 1,200 square miles (3,107.99 sq km) in central California, since 1949.

"It's a big open meadow surrounded by forest land. We're very excited. This pristine meadow is going to provide habitat for a number of protected species," park spokeswoman Jamie Richards said. Among them are two endangered species of owls.

Among the major contributors to the purchase were the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy, the National Park Trust and American Rivers.

According to the park, the land is especially important because it consists of a meadow. While just three percent of Yosemite National Park is meadows, they are home to some one-third of the plant species found there.

Frank Dean, president of the Yosemite Conservancy, said in a statement that Ackerson Meadow had been included in the original boundary plans for the park, which was inspired by the advocacy of Scottish-American naturalist John Muir.

"Donating the largest addition since 1949 to one of the world's most famous parks is a great way to celebrate the 100th birthday of our National Park Service -- and honor John Muir's original vision for the park," said Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land.

Yosemite, considered one of the crown jewels of America's national park system, regularly ranks among the top U.S. tourist attractions. The park saw a record 4.3 million visitors in 2015. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler) </s> Visitors to Yosemite national park in California have more room to roam after officials on Wednesday announced a 400-acre expansion of the park – its largest in nearly 70 years.

The addition features wetlands and a grassy meadow surrounded by tall pine trees on rolling hills that are home to endangered wildlife.

Ackerson Meadow is located along Yosemite’s western boundary. The area was purchased from private owners by the Trust for Public Land, a not-for-profit conservation group, for $2.3m and donated to the park.

Officials told the Associated Press that Yosemite would preserve the land – historically used for logging and cattle grazing – as habitat for wildlife such as the great gray owl, the largest owl in North America and listed as endangered by California wildlife officials.

Robin and Nancy Wainwright, who had owned the land since 2006, sold it to the trust. Robin Wainwright said they lost a “few hundred thousand dollars” passing up a lucrative offer from a developer to build a resort.

He said he often saw bears strolling through the meadow and owls soaring over fields of vibrant wildflowers blooming in the springtime. He did not want that experience available only to those who could afford a resort.

“To have that accessible by everyone, to me, is just a great thing,” Wainwright said. “It was worth losing a little bit of money for that.”

The park’s boundary has seen some minor changes over the years, but this expansion is the largest since 1949 to the park of nearly 750,000 acres total, park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

More than 4.5 million people are expected to visit Yosemite this year, which Gediman said would set a record for the park, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.

Visitors pass Ackerson Meadow on their way to Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which provides drinking water to San Francisco.

The land was bought with $1.53m from the Trust for Public Land and $520,000 from the Yosemite Conservancy, which supports a variety of projects in the park. Anonymous donors contributed the rest, Gediman said.

“We are delighted and proud to make this gift to Yosemite and the people of America,” said Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land.

The land completes the park’s original plans from 1890, which included Ackerson Meadow, said the Yosemite Conservancy’s president, Frank Dean.

“It’s a stunning open meadow surrounded by forest habitat, which supports a wide variety of flora and fauna,” said the park superintendent, Don Neubacher. </s> Image copyright AP Image caption Ackerson Meadow is home to endangered wildlife

Yosemite National Park in California is to gain a 400-acre addition, its largest expansion in nearly 70 years.

Ackerson Meadow features wetlands and rolling hills that are home to endangered wildlife, park officials quoted by AP news agency said.

The land, on Yosemite's western boundary, was bought for the park by conservation group the Trust for Public Land for $2.3m (£1.7m).

Yosemite National Park covers about 1,200 sq miles of mountainous scenery.

It attracts millions of visitors every year and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.

The new addition, which was traditionally used for logging and grazing cattle, will be preserved as habitat for wildlife including the endangered great grey owl, the largest owl in North America, the officials said.

The land had been owned since 2006 by Robin and Nancy Wainwright.

Mr Wainwright said that by selling it to the trust, they had passed up a lucrative offer from a developer which had wanted to build a resort.

He said he had often seen bears strolling through the meadow and owls over fields of wildflowers in the spring.

Image copyright AP Image caption The land was historically used for logging and grazing cattle

Mr Wainwright said he hadn't wanted that experience to be available only to visitors who could afford to stay in a resort.

"To have that accessible by everyone, to me is just a great thing. It was worth losing a little bit of money for that," he added.

Park spokesman Scott Gediman said Yosemite's boundary had seen some minor changes over the years but the addition of Ackerson Meadow was the largest expansion since 1949.

He said the Trust for Public Land had put up $1.53m for the purchase with the Yosemite Conservancy and anonymous donors making up the rest. </s> The deadly Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park is now 100 percent contained, according to officials.

The fire, which killed two firefighters as crews battled the flames for over a month, burned a total of 96,901 acres.

As the fire raged, Yosemite was temporarily closed to visitors for safety reasons. It later reopened on Aug. 14.
The U.S. Yosemite National Park expands by 400 acres.