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Steve Matous, Access Fund Executive Director
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IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Note from Steve Matous, Executive Director 2. Access Fund Produces Indian Creek Information Guide 3. Idaho's Castle Rock Ranch Now Scheduled to Open Next Spring 4. Massive Development Threatens Red Rocks Viewshed 5. Draft Plan Released for Willoughby State Forest, VT 6. It's not too late to celebrate Adopt-a-Crag Day 2002! 7. Featured Corporate Partner - Black Diamond 8. Give the Gift of Climbing 1. Note from Steve Matous, Executive Director In the late eighties, I worked with well-known climber advocates such as Mark Hesse, Michael Kennedy and others on issues facing Indian Creek, Shelf Road and numerous Western climbing areas. In 1993, I became an active member of the Access Fund and presented fundraising slide shows, met with land managers and stayed involved in climbing issues. Since then, I was busy with my business and family while maintaining my Access Fund membership. Now as the new Access Fund Executive Director, I see how critical membership and grassroots support is to the organization. The Access Fund represents all climbers and we are able to do so with the generous contributions from our membership. Corporate sponsors, community partners and other contributors provide strong financial backing, however, a major portion of our operating revenue comes from individual donations. Our membership is comprised of people committed to the history, values and experience of climbing. All of you inspire us and provide the means for us to advocate effectively for continued access to our climbing resources. When we are able to tell politicians, land managers and other organizations that we are the largest national climbers organization in the USA, it lends credibility and clout to our work. We are grateful to all of our members, corporate sponsors, and community partners for giving us the resources necessary to effectively advocate for your climbing freedoms. Unfortunately, our membership still represents only a small portion of the total amount of climbers in this country. Modest estimates suggest that there are between 250,000 and 500,000 active climbers, yet only 10,000 are members of the Access Fund. While all climbers benefit from the work of the Access Fund, not everyone knows who we are. This is where you, as an Access Fund member, can really help us. I am asking each of you as climbers to commit to doing five actions to support climbing access by the end of 2002. These actions listed below will help us grow our membership and work even more effectively to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment: I. Convince one other person to join the Access Fund for $30 per year (that is less than $3 per month!) II. Renew your membership early, and give us 10% more than you did last year (this will also save us postage and printing costs, as we will not have to send you renewal materials) III. Visit the Access Fund's website and find out what we're doing in your area. Contact us if access issues exist in your area and we are not presently working there. IV. Find out who your AF Regional Coordinator is in your region (directory at www.accessfund.org/whoweare/who_regcoord.html), contact that person and volunteer to help with local climbing advocacy. V. Start or join a local climbers organization. The Access Fund is committed to boosting climber activism at the grassroots level, and the more organized climbers are the more effectively we can stand up for our common interests. These actions translate to more Access Fund Climbing Preservation Grants for local climber initiatives, more staff time to work in Washington D.C., more political muscle, and more voices to effectively represent the climbing community. In essence, these deeds will empower the Access Fund to do a better job in assuring your climbing future. 2. Access Fund Produces Indian Creek Information Guide
3. Idaho's Castle Rock Ranch Now Scheduled to Open Next Spring The Access Fund has been in contact with Idaho state park officials who will be in charge of managing the fantastic Castle Rock Ranch near the City of Rocks. "Castles" is now slated to open (at the earliest) next spring because the National Park Service has not yet completed the requisite environmental assessments. The steps remaining before Castles can be opened to the public are as follows: the NPS must write the environmental assessment (EA) for the transfer of the property from the NPS to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR). The NPS then does an "in-house" review of the EA and releases it to the public for comment (hopefully sometime this November). After the public comment period the real estate transfer process begins. After transfer, City of Rocks Superintendent Wallace Keck (who will also manage Castles) will submit an interim operation plan for approval by the IDPR. Under this interim plan, it is likely that public use of Castle Rock Ranch will include dispersed day-use including hiking, climbing, and sightseeing. Later, IDPR will partner on a General Management Plan (complete with a climbing management component) with the USFS and BLM who own the property on the backside of Castles property. During this process trails and minor visitor facilities will be developed. As you may remember, The Access Fund provided critical "bridge" funding for the acquisition of Castles way back in 1999, and Congress authorized the fed-to-state transfer of the property nearly two years ago. We will be contacting the NPS and US Senators Craig (R-ID) and Thomas (R-WY, Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks-) to try and speed up the requisite environmental assessment. Once this is done, IDPR can finally get on with devising a management plan for Castles and open it up for climbing. 4. Massive Development Threatens Red Rocks Viewshed The ridge on the east side of Red Rocks National Conservation Area outside of Las Vegas, Nevada is the site of an enormous housing development proposal by a British developer that would forever change the view from much of Red Rocks. John Laing Homes intends on placing 8,400 residences directly across from the hundreds of outstanding climbs at Red Rocks. This development (to be called Cielo Encantado) will attract 21,000 people, and require the construction of a four-lane highway, schools, commercial centers and other associated developments. Many locals and government officials oppose this proposal. Ownership of the site is currently comprised of 2,000 acres held by James Hardie mine property and 1,000 acres of BLM land. Laing has a fifty million dollar option on the property contingent on Hardie being able to trade 500 acres of scattered land for the 1,000 BLM acres. The proposal is also contingent upon Hardie obtaining changes in the zoning and land-use of the area from Clark County. To write letters of concern or for more information, check out www.redrock.org or contact Access Fund Policy Analyst Jason Keith at jason@accessfund.org. 5. Draft Plan Released for Willoughby State Forest, VT The Vermont Department of Forests Parks and Recreation (FPR) have announced the release of the Draft Management Plan for Willoughby State Forest. This includes management of the Willoughby cliffs for both rock and ice climbing. Climbing will continue to be permitted in the forest as it has been with respect to ice climbing on Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Hor and rock climbing on Mount Wheeler. FPR's long-term goals are to develop a climbing management plan for the cliffs. For more information, visit the Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAG-VT) website at www.cragvt.org. This site includes a link to view the Management Plan on the web. 6. It's not too late to celebrate Adopt-a-Crag Day 2002!
Thanks to everyone who participated in Adopt-a-Crag Day 2002. Though there are still more events to come, we've already heard great things from many event organizers (keep those Post Event forms coming everyone!). Among the buzz, Adopt-a-Crag Day has "...helped unite a community that has been divided over fixed anchor controversies." In many places, "turnout exceeded our expectations," and climbing organizations were able to begin a positive relationship with their State Trust Land Department. In some places, there was time left to climb! Several post-Adopt-a-Crag Day gatherings were sponsored by local businesses who provided food, beer and raffles. Remember, the goal of Adopt-a-Crag Day is to show communities that climbers care about crags, so please keep supporting the events near you! Check out www.accessfund.org/events/events_adopt.html, or the list below to find an Adopt-a-Crag Day event in your area: California 9/28 Jenner, CA - Adopt-a-Crag Day at Goat Rocks - Jerry Dodrill 707-824-4862 10/19 Bishop, CA - Adopt-a-Crag at the Happy and Sad Boulders - Scott Justham 760-872-5034 10/20 Bishop, CA - Adopt-a-Crag Day in the Buttermilks - Julie Molzahn 760-873-2462 Colorado 10/5 Boulder, CO - Adopt-a-Crag Day in the Flatirons - Dan Bereck 303-440-9194 10/12 Estes Park, CO - Adopt-a-Crag Day at Lumpy Ridge - Greg Sievers 970-586-4075 New Mexico Late September, Santa Fe, NM - Adopt-a-Crag Day at White Rock Canyon - David Dogruel 505-665-3965 10/5 Albuquerque, NM - Adopt-a-Crag Day at Enchanted Tower - Byran Pletta 505-341-201 Oregon 10/19 Roseburg, OR - Adopt-a-Crag Day at the Callhans - Greg Orton 541-440-9848 Pennsylvania 10/19 Lancaster, PA - Adopt-a-Crag Day at Chickies Rocks - Lonny Whitcomb 717-642-6994 Utah 10/19 Ivins, UT - Adopt Snow Canyon - Kristen Comella 435-628-2255 11/16 Springdale, UT - Adopt-a-Crag in Zion - Jill Sheesley 435-772-7610 Washington 9/28 North Bend, WA - Clean Up Little Si - Andy Fitz 360-586-6752 West Virginia 10/6 Morgantown, WV - Adopt-a-Crag Day at Cooper's Rock - Greg Corio 304-291-0403 Wisconsin 9/27 Dodgeville, WI - Adopt-a-Crag Day at Governor Dodge State Park - Steve Frye/WOA 920-605-5015 Wyoming 7. Featured Corporate Partner - Black Diamond “Black Diamond was founded with an underlying commitment to champion the preservation of, and access to, mountain and crag environments. The Access Fund represents and protects the interests of all American climbers and all visitors who come to America to climb. It is truly our national climbing organization. If you care about climbing, and you want to give future generations something to care about, then you should join and support the Access Fund. It is the number one climbing organization Black Diamond supports and we invite you to join us in this worthwhile cause.” Peter Metcalf - CEO, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. Black Diamond is a Diamond level and founding
Corporate Partner of the Access Fund. Please check out 8. Give the Gift of Climbing Now is the time to help the Access Fund plan for your grandchildren’s climbing future. The Access Fund has all the resources to make planned giving easy. Give a planned gift; it is the best way to leave an enduring legacy for climbing. * Stock * Bequest * Charitable Gift Annuity * Pooled Income Fund * Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust * Charitable Remainder Unitrust * Lead Trusts * Name The Access Fund as a beneficiary in your life insurance policy or retirement plan If your gift is $10,000 or more, you may designate it for one of the following categories: Acquisitions, Advocacy & Activism, Membership, Conservation, Adopt-a-Crag, Education, Climbing Preservation Grants or Unrestricted. For more information on the Access Fund’s planned giving program, contact Heather Clark, development director, 303-545-6772 x.100 or heather@accessfund.org. VIRTUAL TIMES POLICIES: 1. The Access Fund office in Boulder is the only source of outgoing messages to the lists. 2. The AF will not sell or give away email addresses of V-Times subscribers. 3. V-Times is an announcement-only e-mail list; therefore, you cannot reply to any of the list members. 4. All e-mail addresses will remain confidential with every mail sent. Virtual Times Policies: 1. The Access Fund office in Boulder is the only source of outgoing messages to the lists. 2. The AF will not sell or give away email addresses for the V-Times. 3. V-Times is an announcement-only e-mail list; therefore, you cannot reply to any of the list members. 4. All e-mail addresses will remain confidential with every mail sent.
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