Yes. That was what some of the informational meetings were about at Bishop, Fresno & Visalia (maybe other places)... .
I'm more than a bit biased. I also wrote a good chunk of the Environmental Assessment. These cabins will be built on the same "footprint" as the original ones, so no increased impact. Except the one at LeConte. That's currently on a major archeological site. Rather than disturb that, the location will be moved about 50 feet and the old site rehabilitated and closed to camping.
The Rae Lakes tent station, especially, really needs to be replaced. It's using the same struts from the original tent frame from 1970. Really ugly... .
The main idea and justification is that a a ranger & station in the backcountry increases the ability of the NPS to protect the area through more immediate contact with people; longer time to pick up garbage and rehab campsites; as well as shorter response times for SARs and medicals; etc. The cabin itself, of course, is an intrusion on Wilderness, but the balance is that the ranger makes up for that by having the ability to do more protection of the area than without the station.
That, the wine cellar and hot tub will make our being stationed there more bearable... . (just to make sure: small joke...).
g.
