Thursday, August 10, 2006
Going to Bat
Who’s been going to bat for us on climbing access and resource management issues -- lobbying the National Park Service in Washington, DC, for example, regarding how climbing environments are managed and maintained in national parks?
The Access Fund, which represents over 1.6 million climbers nationwide.
The group represents climbers of all types: Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Mountaineering, and Bouldering. Touchstone has long supported the Access Fund because of its commitment to keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment.
In 2006, the organization has articulated the responsible climbers’ perspective as a proposal to sell off massive quantities of US Forest Service lands, some of which contain climbing resources, gains momentum. And, in the last few months, it has made the responsible climbers’ case to the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and US Forest Service in Washington, DC regarding fixed anchors in areas such as Yosemite Valley (CA), the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (CO), the Sawtooth Mountains (ID), and Linville Gorge (NC).
Nearly 85 cents of every membership dollar funds projects and services that conserve climbing access, protect the climbing environment, and minimize impacts and restrictions across the U.S.
Regional coordinators are the Access Fund's principal liaisons to local areas and represent climbers' interests on both public and private lands. Regional coordinators facilitate the efforts to keep climbing areas open at the local level. The Access Fund contact for the northern California territory is Alison Walker.
Who’s been going to bat for us on climbing access and resource management issues -- lobbying the National Park Service in Washington, DC, for example, regarding how climbing environments are managed and maintained in national parks?The Access Fund, which represents over 1.6 million climbers nationwide.
The group represents climbers of all types: Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Mountaineering, and Bouldering. Touchstone has long supported the Access Fund because of its commitment to keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment.
In 2006, the organization has articulated the responsible climbers’ perspective as a proposal to sell off massive quantities of US Forest Service lands, some of which contain climbing resources, gains momentum. And, in the last few months, it has made the responsible climbers’ case to the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and US Forest Service in Washington, DC regarding fixed anchors in areas such as Yosemite Valley (CA), the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (CO), the Sawtooth Mountains (ID), and Linville Gorge (NC).
Nearly 85 cents of every membership dollar funds projects and services that conserve climbing access, protect the climbing environment, and minimize impacts and restrictions across the U.S.
Regional coordinators are the Access Fund's principal liaisons to local areas and represent climbers' interests on both public and private lands. Regional coordinators facilitate the efforts to keep climbing areas open at the local level. The Access Fund contact for the northern California territory is Alison Walker.
Labels: Access Fund, climbing, community, Yosemite
¶ Thursday, August 10, 2006
