Nevada Breaking News
Notification of Action in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NV (01/14/2008)
BLM press release
Beginning January 7, 2008, the Bureau of Land Management will be begin renovating the Late Night parking lot in the southern half of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 4.7 miles west of the junction of State Route 159 and State Route 160. The project is anticipated to be completed within four months.
The Late Night parking lot is a popular access to multiple trails for climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and equestrian use. As part of the renovation, the road leading north to Black Velvet Canyon will be temporarily affected and may be closed intermittently or entirely due to its proximity to the construction site.
The parking lot renovation is being funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The renovation will add a new bathroom for the area, hitching posts for horses, about 70 parking spots for cars, and six pull-though spots designed for vehicles with horse trailers.
ADVISORY:
This notice is for disclosure purposes only. Specific comments are not being sought through this notice.
As always, your questions are welcome concerning projects. Should you have any questions regarding this action or would like a map showing the alternate routes to access hiking and rock climbing in Black Velvet Canyon, please contact the Las Vegas Field Office at 702-515-5138 or jed_botsford@blm.gov
Cave Rock (08/29/2007)
On August 27, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a US Forest Service (USFS) ban on rock climbing at Lake Tahoe's Cave Rock in Nevada, rejecting arguments by the Access Fund that the ban enacted in early 2005 by the USFS is unconstitutional because it closes public lands for religious purposes. The Access Fund does not agree with the court’s justification of this closure to climbing while all other users—hikers, picnickers, site-seers, and highway users—have been permitted to continue to use Cave Rock. The Access Fund is carefully reviewing the court’s opinion and options for short and long term action.
BLM’s Proposed Wilderness Plan Focuses on Red Rocks Bolting Proposal, NV (06/18/2007)
The Bureau of Land Management in Las Vegas has just finished accepting scoping comments to their Preliminary Proposed Wilderness Management Plan for Red Rocks which includes the La Madre Mountain and Rainbow Mountain Wilderness areas. See www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/nv/field_offices/las_vegas_field_office/...
The BLM will now take these public comments and formulate management alternatives for Red Rocks including new policies to permit new fixed anchor. Look for a draft plan in late 2007 or early 2008. For more background on this issue, see the Access Fund’s comments www.accessfund.org/pdf/RedRocksScop.pdf and stay tuned to the Las Vegas Climber’s Liaison Council www.lvclc.org for news of the local Vegas position on new Red Rocks climbing policies.
Access Fund Urges Appellate Court to Overturn Climbing Ban at Cave Rock, NV (04/19/2007)
By Paul Minault, Access Fund N. California Regional Coordinator
On February 15th, attorneys for the Access Fund appeared before a three-judge panel of the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to urge the court to overturn the Forest Service’s ban on climbing access at Cave Rock on Lake Tahoe’s Nevada shore.
In oral argument, Access Fund attorney Jeremy Kernodle of the Dallas law firm of Haynes and Boone argued, among other things, that climbers were the only recreational group subject to the ban, while hikers, picnickers, boaters and fisherman were free to use the rock and the surrounding area as they wished.
The Forest Service issued a management plan for Cave Rock in 2003 prohibiting climbing on the formation. Following an unsuccessful administrative appeal to the Forest Service, the Access Fund filed suit in federal court in Nevada. In 2005, the District Court upheld the ban on the grounds that, in addition to protecting Washoe spiritual practices, the ban also had secular purposes. The court of appeals will issue its decision sometime later this year.
Cave Rock Update, NV (01/11/2007)
Cave Rock Lawsuit Scheduled for Oral Arguments at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
After waiting 1 ½ years, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently announced that the court will hear oral arguments in the Access Fund lawsuit that seeks to reopen climbing at Cave Rock, a popular and important climbing area on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada.
On February 15 in San Francisco the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear 20 minute oral arguments each from the Access Fund and attorneys representing the US Forest Service. Stay tuned for any additional announcements.
In the meantime, the Cave Rock climbing ban remains in place, and it is critical that climbers continue to respect the climbing closure while we work our way through the courts. Violating the climbing closure will only harm our case in court and reduce the chances of climbing at Cave Rock in the future.
For more information see past Access Fund E-news and www.accessfund.org/pdf/CRbackgrounder3-28.pdf or contact Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith at Jason@accessfund.org.
Climbing Still Closed at Cave Rock No Change On Pending Access Fund Lawsuit, NV (11/14/2006)
Nearly 1 ½ years ago the Access Fund filed its most recent legal brief at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the on-going attempt to keep climbing open at Cave Rock, a popular and important climbing area on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada. For more background see www.accessfund.org/pdf/CRbackgrounder3-28.pdf
In January 2005 at the district court level in Reno a judge upheld the US Forest Service (USFS) decision to ban climbing at Cave Rock; however, the district court prevented the USFS from removing any climbing bolts pending the Access Fund’s challenge. The AF Board subsequently voted unanimously to pursue an appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. For now, since all briefs have been filed, we continue to wait for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to schedule oral arguments or render a verdict. The USFS declined to pursue mediation despite the Access Fund's hope that the conflict may be resolved out of the courtroom.
The Cave Rock climbing ban remains in place at least for the duration of the lawsuit, and it's critical that climbers continue to respect the climbing closure while we work our way through the courts. Violating the climbing closure only harm our case in court and reduce your chances of climbing at Cave Rock in the future. For more information contact Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith at Jason@accessfund.org.
Cave Rock, NV Update: (10/12/2006)
Access Fund Lawsuit Still Pending, Climbing Remains Closed
Over a year ago in mid-August of 2005 the Access Fund filed its most recent legal brief at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the on-going attempt to keep climbing open at Cave Rock, a popular and important climbing area on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada. For more background see www.accessfund.org/pdf/CRbackgrounder3-28.pdf
In January 2005 at the district court level in Reno a judge upheld the US Forest Service (USFS) decision to ban climbing at Cave Rock; however, the district court prevented the USFS from removing any climbing bolts pending the lawsuit’s result.
The AF Board subsequently voted to pursue an appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. For now, since all briefs have been filed, we continue to wait for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to schedule oral arguments or render a verdict. The USFS declined to pursue mediation despite the Access Fund's hope that the conflict may be resolved out of the courtroom.
The climbing ban remains in place at least for the duration of the lawsuit, and it's critical that climbers continue to respect the climbing closure at Cave Rock while we work our way through the courts—ignoring the ban will only harm our case in court and reduce the chances that it will reopen.
For more information contact Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith at Jason@accessfund.org.