Yosemite National Park expands by 400 acres

Yosemite National Park has grown by 400 acres, officials announced Wednesday, the largest expansion in close to seven decades.

Ackerson Meadow, along the western boundary of the California park, is surrounded by pine trees and is a habitat for the endangered great gray owl. The area was purchased from private owners for $2.3 million and donated to the park by a nonprofit group. The meadow was actually part of the park's original plans from 1890, the Yosemite Conservancy's president said, and has historically been used for cattle grazing and logging.

The former owner of the land, Robin Wainwright, told The Associated Press to have the area "accessible by everyone, to me, is just a great thing." Yosemite covers almost 750,000 acres, and welcomes millions of visitors a year.

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