Yosemite plan would ease traffic, shut ice rink

For years, the possibility has existed that access to the third-most visited national park would be decreased under the court-ordered effort to protect the Merced River, which received congressional "wild and scenic" designation in 1987.

But park officials tried to balance the needs of visitors against the activities and development in Yosemite Valley that have contributed to degradation of riverbanks and water quality.