PUBLIC LAND AND CLIMBING MANAGEMENT POLICIES
On March 10-11 2007 over 45 land managers and climbers from across the country attended the Access Fund's National Climbing Management Summit (NCMS) at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado. The Summit provided a forum to discuss specific "climbing management practices that work" regarding three specific issues: fixed anchors, cultural resources, and protected species.
This page provides climbing management information and resources that were produced at or in preparation of the NCMS.
Because public land agencies increasingly implement varying climbing management policies despite similar or identical mandates and management obligations, there exists a need for better communication and understanding between public land managers and the climbing community to avoid management problems, inconsistent regulatory interpretations and enforcement, and to facilitate "buy-in" by climbers concerning land manger obligations, needs and programs. The National Climbing Management Summit allowed land managers to provide the actual content of the discussion after the Access Fund provided the context (i.e., three major climbing management issues: fixed anchors, cultural resources, and protected species).
A special thanks to the American Alpine Club for donating conference space at the American Mountaineering Center.
Climbing Management Slideshow Presentations
Access Fund Introduction to Climbing and Climbing Issues
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/NatlClimbingManagementSummit_AF.pdf
Bishop, CA - "To Publish or Not To Publish": Managing Bouldering and Cultural Resource Protection on the Volcanic Tablelands - Jeff Starosta, Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/Bishop_BLM.pdf
Red River Gorge, KY - Cultural Resource Protection from a Rock Climber's Perspective - Bill Strachan, Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/RedRiverGorge_RRGCC.pdf
Red River Gorge, KY - US Forest Service Management of Climbing and Cultural Resources in the Red River Gorge - Tim Eling, Daniel Boone National Forest
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/RedRiverGorge_USFS.pdf
Devils Tower, WY - Climbing Management on a Sacred Site - Jim Cheatham, Chief of Resource Management, Devils Tower National Monument
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/DevilsTower_NPS.pdf
New River Gorge, WV - New River Gorge Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project 2006 - Gary Hartley, Chief Ranger New River Gorge National River
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/NewRiverGorge_NPS.pdf
Boulder, CO - Wildlife and the Climbing Community - Burton Stoner, Ranger/Naturalist, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/CityofBoulder_OSMP.pdf
White Mountain National Forest, NH - Fixed Anchor Management - Justin Preisendorfer, Ranger, White Mountain National Forest
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/WhiteMountain_USFS.pdf
Climbing Management Surveys
National Park Service
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/NCMS_SurveyCompilation_NPS_4_13_07.pdf
US Forest Service
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/NCMS_SurveyCompilation_USFS_4_13_07.pdf
Bureau of Land Management
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/NCMS_SurveyCompilation_BLM_4_13_07.pdf
State and Local
www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/NCMS_SurveyCompilation _STATE_LOCAL_4_13_07.pdf
These surveys are living documents that you can help update. If you are a land manager or are aware of specific climbing management policies in your area, contact Jason Keith (jason@accessfund.org / 303-545-6772 x102) and we'll make sure to update the surveys on an on-going basis. A sample survey can be found here: www.accessfund.org/pdf/NCMS/ClimbingManagementSurvey_3_22_07.doc.
Additional Climbing Management Information
Climbing Management: A Guide to Climbing Issues and the Production of a Climbing Management Plan
www.accessfund.org/pdf/CM-web.pdf
Bouldering: Understanding and Managing Climbing on Small Rock Formations
www.accessfund.org/pdf/BoulderingPaper.pdf
An Annotated Bibliography - Climbing and Natural Resources Management
http://www.accessfund.org/pdf/annotbib.pdf
2001 Supplement
www.accessfund.org/pdf/Bibliography_updates_11-01.pdf
Climbing Preservation Grant Guidelines
www.accessfund.org/cons/guidelines.php
Raptors and Climbers
www.accessfund.org/access/index.php
www.accessfund.org/cons/raptors.php
www.accessfund.org/pubs/index.php#RC
Access Fund Adopt-A-Crag
www.accessfund.org/cons/aac.php
Climbing Management Publications
www.accessfund.org/pubs/index.php
Climbing on Public Land: Approaching Land Managers & Public Officials
www.accessfund.org/resources/respub.php
Negotiating with the Federal Government: A Road Map
www.accessfund.org/resources/nego.php
Memoranda of Understanding: How MOUs with Land Managers Can Assist Climbing Activists
www.accessfund.org/pdf/LCO_Strategy_MOU.pdf