BURSTGreat news to finish of 2024 in the U.S.A. as the Access Fund just released a press statement detailing how fixed protection won’t be banned in the National Parks. Read the press release below.
National Park Service withdraws proposal that threatened climbing access and America’s climbing legacy: Access Fund Applauds Protection of Sustainable Wilderness Climbing
Today, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it is rescinding proposed guidance on Wilderness climbing management that would have undermined sustainable Wilderness climbing access by classifying fixed anchors as prohibited “installations.” The proposed guidance aimed to prohibit all existing slings, pins, and bolts in Wilderness areas until a time- and resource-intensive process designed to evaluate administrative exceptions determined whether they should stay in place or be removed. It would have impacted more than 50,000 routes in 28 states, including some of America’s most iconic climbing routes such as The Nose on El Capitan, big walls in Utah’s Zion National Park, adventures in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, historic climbs in Washington’s North Cascades, and many more. NPS leaders state that they will continue to manage climbing activities in Wilderness on a park-by-park basis consistent with applicable law and policy, including the Wilderness Act.
Access Fund and its partner organizations encouraged climbers around the country to speak up for sustainable Wilderness climbing access during the agencies’ 60 day comment period, and more than 12,000 people submitted comments to the two agencies.
“Access Fund applauds the Department of the Interior for withdrawing its fixed anchor management proposals, which would have prohibited long-established practices and tools for safely ascending and descending climbs in Wilderness areas. This decision protects sustainable Wilderness climbing and America’s climbing legacy, which is good for our health, rural economies, and the environment,” says Access Fund Deputy Director Erik Murdock. “We are thrilled that our federal leaders listened to the voices of everyday climbers, local leaders, small business owners, mountain guides, U.S. Senators and Representatives, and so many people who value the intersection between recreation and conservation.”
A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. Senators led by Senators Cantwell and Boozman sent a letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture and Interior in September 2024. They noted that, “While intended to provide over eight million American climbers with clear guidance on the use of fixed anchors to maintain wilderness area protections, we are concerned the policy change would unnecessarily burden our National Parks’ and Forests’ already strained budgets, limit access to these special places, and endanger climbers.”
“As climbers, fixed anchors are essential pieces of our safety system that allow us to safely and sustainably access vertical terrain. Without fixed anchors, many of the wildest and most inspiring places in America would become inaccessible to the public,” says Access Fund Executive Director Heather Thorne. “What happens next, though, is up to us as climbers. We must exercise restraint, humility and respect as we climb in these amazing Wilderness areas to ensure that they remain accessible for generations to come.”
America’s 8 million climbers are a powerful climbing advocacy movement. Access Fund works to empower climbers with the tools they need to be effective advocates for the lands and sport they love—whether that’s elevating their voices to lawmakers, connecting them to volunteer opportunities, providing training and grants for local access and conservation projects, or helping them minimize their environmental impacts. Every climber has a concrete opportunity to influence the future of climbing and the greater conservation movement. Access Fund will continue to monitor future Wilderness climbing developments and engage the community if and when new threats to sustainable access arise.
Learn more about Wilderness climbing at accessfund.org/latest-news/wilderness-climbing-faq.
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