US Forest Service & National Park Service
Preliminary Climbing Management Plans
COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED - ENDS SOON!!
DEADLINE is JAN 30, 2024, 9:59pm MST
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: USFS and NPS Climbing Management Plans Potentially Affect Climber Access and Safety
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On November 17, 2023, two separate “Climbing Management Plan” draft documents were released to the public by US Forest Service (USFS) and National Park Service (NPS)  There is a major concern among climbers and LCOs that climbing access and climber safety will be affected by these two plans. These draft plans are open for public comment until Jan 30, 2024.

Access Fund has a Press Release on their website that contains an initial discussion and reaction amongst the greater climbing community. Access Fund has also released their Wilderness Climbing FAQ regarding these two draft plans, providing answers to questions on the plans, and some information about two bills currently before Congress that support outdoor climbing and recreation: Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act (PARCA) in the House and America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) in the Senate.
What would be affected in National Parks??

Iconic climbing areas such as Yosemite, Rocky Mountain NP, Joshua Tree, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and more, would be directly affected. There are already NPS regulations in Yosemite for bolting in the Park and Wilderness Areas. This new policy would deem all current fixed anchors "illegal installations," affecting iconic Yosemite routes on Half Dome, The Nose, Freerider, and more.  Routes on The Diamond nad Lumpy Ridge in Rocky Mountain would also fall under this same policy. 
What would be affected locally on Lemmon??

Below is a map indicating the locations of various crags located in the Mount Lemmon area.
Crags marked by a red tag are located in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area. Per the USFS Climbing Management plan, any permanent bolts or fixed anchors would be deemed “prohibited installations'' and potentially marked for removal. CASA or individuals would not be allowed to replace items if they become unsafe until a review is completed by USFS. This creates a great risk to climber’s safety and reduces access to climbable rocks. Additional areas affected by this policy would include Rincon Wilderness and Mt Wrightson Wilderness.
Crags marked by a pink tag are located in the Coronado National Forest and could fall under the same restrictions as Wilderness Areas, if the USFS extends the rules to National Forest. This is not limited to Lemmon, but extends to Cochise Stronghold, The Dry, Elephant Head, Rincon, Mt Wrightson.
What can you do?

Comment on each of the Climbing Management Plans using the guidance provided below BEFORE January 30th, 11:59pm EST (9:59pm AZ). It is important that your comments are unique and personal, based on your climbing experiences here in Southern Arizona and other locations that will be affected. Attend one of CASA’a tabling events the week of Jan 8 at Rocks and Ropes for assistance in writing and submitting your comments on the two plans (check social media for times and dates).
Talking Points and Guidance
Please take the time to write a unique and personal comment by paraphrasing the following talking points. Write in a way to incorporate the main ideas listed below into your comments. You can refer to the Access Fund’s Action Alert for more detailed info.

In creating stronger, personal comments, try to include your own stories, such as meaningful climbing experiences in or outside of wilderness areas, and what you are personally concerned about losing as a US Forest or National Park user.

​Remember, climbing has been and continues to be compatible with wilderness on National Forests and National Parks, and these changes are completely unnecessary.​
  • ​The Southern Arizona climbing community has a long and positive history on National Forest system lands in the region.

  • The Southern Arizona climbing community has been effectively collaborating with the Coronado National Forest for decades to improve forest lands and steward climbing areas via dozens of volunteer efforts including:
    • ​System trail maintenance
    • Climbing area erosion control work
    • Litter cleanup
    • Graffiti removal
    • Fixed anchor maintenance
    • Raptor monitoring
  • NOTE: §  A considerable amount of community resources has been committed to these collaborative stewardship efforts, including support from local businesses and non-climbing organizations
 
  • Rock climbing is a well-accepted and celebrated activity on the Coronado National Forest (CNF), as well as National Parks across the country, with routes established well before the 1964 Wilderness Act. The CNF even celebrates rock climbing on its homepage as a major forest activity.

  • National Park websites, such as Yosemite and Rocky Mountain, also have webpages dedicated to Climbing and climbing ethics in their parks. 

  • Fixed anchors are an essential piece of climbers’ safety system and are not prohibited “installations” under the 1964 Wilderness Act. Following existing climbing policies that allow judicious use of fixed anchors for more than a half century will do more to protect Wilderness and Park character while providing for primitive and unconfined Wilderness climbing.
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  • It is unreasonable for federal agencies to create new guidance policies prohibiting Wilderness and National Park climbing anchors across the country when they have allowed, managed, and authorized fixed anchors for decades.
Vertical Divider
  • Prohibiting fixed anchors will create safety issues by imposing unnecessary obstacles to the regular maintenance of fixed anchors, a responsibility undertaken by the climbing community. Critical safety decisions often must be made in the moment and any authorization process should not impede those decisions. Fixed anchor maintenance needs to be managed in a way that incentivizes safe anchor replacement and does not risk the removal of a climbing route.

  • Prohibiting fixed anchors will threaten America's rich climbing legacy and could erase some of the world's greatest climbing achievements. Climbing management policy needs to protect existing routes from removal, and support expeditious maintenance of fixed anchors.

  • Restricting the establishment of new routes to "existing climbing opportunities" on non-Wilderness lands is unenforceable and will create confusion amongst land managers and climbers. Non-Wilderness climbing management policy should maintain opportunities for new anchors unless and until analyses determine climbing should be restricted to protect cultural and natural resources

  • The rule changes and development of the management plans come with no funding mechanism attached. The changes will place an unnecessary and unsustainable management burden upon the already short-staffed Forest Service and Park Service.

  • ​The US Forest Service  and National Park Service should consider existing fixed anchors in and outside of wilderness to be approved and appropriate until such time that a resource analysis can be done to determine if each fixed anchor is inappropriate.
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  • USFS and NPS locations need to begin or continue working with the local climbing community as an essential part in maintaining climber safety and promoting outdoor recreation.
Submit your comments now!
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