The Sierra Club also opposes construction of buildings in a woodland area north of the current lodge, said lawyer Joe Becher of the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, representing the environmental group. Becher said the park did not follow federal laws in assessing the environmental impact on the area. There are violations of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Yosemite officials said a series of environmental studies has been completed on the lodge plan, including an assessment last year. They said it is now Yosemite policy to move buildings away from the Merced River flood plain.
Officials believe it is better to save the buildings than the roads and parking lots.
They also said some people mistakenly believe pristine areas are being developed. Park officials removed the lodge planning from the larger Valley Implementation Plan last year. The Sierra Club lawsuit says the project should have remained part of the larger valley plan. Becher said he will ask the court to stop the project until the legal issues can be decided. Federal attorneys for Yosemite agreed to stop all work on the project while the injunction is argued.