Access Fund E-News #52
February 2005
The Access Fund
E-News Online
IN THIS ISSUE:
Access Fund E-News #52
February 2005
The Access Fund
E-News Online
IN THIS ISSUE:
Luxury Housing Development Proposed at New River Gorge!
Red Rocks, NV to Lose Federal Money
Red Rock Rendezvous Returns To Las Vegas
Seasonal Wildlife Restrictions
Alpinist Magazine Announces New Film Festival
Utah open lands dedication - Castleton Tower
Access Fund Launches Website Redesign
Vertical Times #62 (February Issue) is Online as a PDF_______________________________
Luxury Housing Development Proposed at New River Gorge!
(From the National Parks Conservation Association)
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The New River Gorge National River, a world-class white water rafting and rock climbing destination and jewel of our National Park System, is at risk of being developed for luxury houses. Land Resource Companies (LRC), an Atlanta-based developer, is proposing a 2,200-house development on 4,300 acres along ten miles of the canyon rim; 613 acres of this land lies within the Congressionally designated boundary for the park and the rest is directly adjacent. In order to move forward with the current development proposal LRC must get Fayette County, West Virginia to change the zoning of the land from its current designation of "land conservation" to "planned development."
The proposed development would degrade this national treasure, which, in addition to its natural and cultural value, generates multi-million dollar benefits to the region from tourism. In 2004, New River Gorge National River visitors spent $61.13 million in the communities around the park, supporting 1,314 jobs.
TAKE ACTION:
http://www.npca.org/aa.asp?ID=410
Please encourage the county commissioners and zoning board members to continue to preserve this land in "land conservation" status, especially the land within the park boundary, and the land on the canyon rim in the viewshed of the park.
In addition, if you can, please attend the public hearing on Tuesday, Feb.22, 2005 at 3:00pm, held by the Fayette County Planning Commission, in the Fayette County Courthouse in downtown Fayetteville, WV. If you are interested in speaking at the hearing you must sign in before the hearing starts. The Planning Commission will then forward a recommendation on the re-zoning request to the Fayette County Commissioners, who will meet at 10:00am on Feb. 25, 2005 in the Fayette County Courthouse to rule on the re-zoning request.
For more information, contact Erin Haddix at 202-454-3916 or ehaddix@npca.org.
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Red Rocks, NV to Lose Federal Money
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The Bush Administration's proposed budget seeks to take away money raised from the sale of southern Nevada federal lands intended to benefit Red Rocks to instead pay off the national deficit. As much of 70% of the money raised from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNLMA) was intended to fund a special account available to the Secretary of the Interior for acquiring environmentally sensitive land in Nevada, capital improvements at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and funding for the development of parks, trails, and other conservation initiatives. Instead, the Bush Administration's proposed budget would take most of these land sale revenues-about $700 million a year-to reduce the national deficit.
The loss of this SNLMA money may affect recreation areas across Nevada, including Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston, Keyhole Canyon, regional trail systems, and recreation in the Lake Tahoe area. In addition, diverting this money may also result in the elimination or cutting back of climbing rangers, park rangers, and key staff within the federal land agencies. For more information, see:
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2005/02/05/91490.php
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Feb-08-Tue-2005/news/25823009.html,
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Feb-02-Wed-2005/news/25783997.html, and
http://nevadaappeal.com/article/20050207/NEVADA/102070041.
To voice your concern regarding the diversion of funds from the SNLMA, contact Nevada legislators (see www.congress.org for contact information) as well as the White House:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
President George W. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Richard Cheney: vice.president@whitehouse.gov
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Red Rock Rendezvous Returns To Las Vegas For Second Annual Event Benefiting The Access Fund
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The second annual "Mountain Gear Presents Red Rock Rendezvous" will return to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas for a climbing festival to benefit The Access Fund. The event will take place March 18 - 20, 2005.
This year's event offers clinics for advanced, intermediate and beginning climbers. Registration is $60 per person and includes the Friday night opening celebration, climbing clinics by experts all day Saturday and Sunday in the Red Rock Canyon, free climbing when not in clinics, a dinner buffet on Saturday night, demos, comps and mini seminars by event sponsors, blow out party and slide show on Saturday night, pancake breakfast Sunday morning and two service projects in order to assist the surrounding natural environment of the Red Rock Canyon.
Non-climbing participants can receive access to all non-clinic festivities for $30.
More than 400 climbers throughout the nation are anticipated to attend the 2005 event as well as another 400 non-climbing spectators. In addition, more than 25 different crag areas have been identified for clinic sites, featuring bolted sport climbing for all levels, as well as multi-pitch and bouldering routes.
For more information and to register, call 800.829.2009. or visit http://www.mgear.com/rrr. Early registration is encouraged for group campsites.
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Seasonal Wildlife Restrictions
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Our actions speak louder than words. Support for legitimate seasonal wildlife restrictions conserves access by demonstrating that climbers and wildlife can coexist. Climbers have a good record of supporting raptor-nesting restrictions and continued compliance is critical to develop and maintain good relations with resource managers.
Numerous crags are closed to humans each year to allow our cliff dwelling wildlife a chance to reproduce undisturbed. Wildlife closures come in all shapes and sizes and include closures for plants as well as animals. By far the most common is seasonal restrictions to protect cliff-nesting raptors targeted at peregrine falcons, prairie falcons and golden eagles. Each year the Access Fund lists seasonal raptor closures for use in planning a visit to an area. Always check signs on site for the latest update. Details can change and restrictions may have been shifted or lifted early. Seasonal wildlife closures give our cliff wildlife the protection it needs at its most vulnerable time. With climber's support, such arrangements demonstrate that climbing can coexist with wildlife protection efforts. For a complete list of seasonal closures around the country, please visit: http://www.accessfund.org/access/index.php or click on the map for state-by-state listings. If you have new information, recognize information on our website that needs changing, or have a concern that a closure in your area is excessive or unwarranted, please contact Shawn Tierney at: shawn@accessfund.org
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Alpinist Magazine Announces The Creation Of The
Barry Corbet Film Festival
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Contact: Christian Beckwith, Editor, Alpinist Magazine
Email: cb@alpinist.com , Phone: 307-734-0600
Jackson, Wyoming-February 17, 2005-Alpinist Magazine announced today the creation of The Barry Corbet Film Festival, on March 24, 25, and 26, 2005, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Barry Corbet Film Festival will honor Barry Corbet's athletic and artistic spirit with a series of films that evoke the joys of deep snow, wild water and steep stone. All films have been carefully screened to reflect Corbet's devotion to poetic artistry, both in filmmaking and lifestyle sports. Shows will be held each evening at the Mainstage Theater in Jackson, Wyoming's, Pink Garter Theater. As befits such a celebration, beer will be available when the doors open at 7 p.m. The films begin at 8 p.m. each night; in many cases the filmmakers themselves will be on hand to present their work. On the last two evenings of the Festival, after-hours parties will facilitate an ongoing discussion of Corbet's spirit.
Barry Corbet, who died December 18, 2004, was a Jackson Hole skiing and climbing legend who applied his experiences in the mountains to the world of film. In 1968 while making a ski film, he was gravely injured in a helicopter crash. After the accident, which left him partially paralyzed, he became a leading advocate for the disabled through his films, books and the magazine , New Mobility , which he founded. As one of his colleagues from the magazine said, "Because of his spinal cord injury, Barry kind of had two lives. And he lived more fully in both of them than most of us do in one." The three nights of films will focus on one specific lifestyle each evening. Thursday, March 24, features skiing. Friday, March 25, is surf night. On Saturday, March 26, the festival will conclude with two climbing films that best capture the vertical spirit. Both Friday and Saturday nights will conclude with parties that get the Jackson locals onto the dance floor to gather around our common passions. Tickets are $10 each night and include a combination movie/after-hours party pass, and are available at Alpinist , Pica's, Skinny Skis, Teton Mountaineering and Tobacco Row. All net proceeds from the evenings will be donated to charity in Barry Corbet's name. For more information about each evening's movies or other details, call Alpinist Magazine at 307-734-0600.
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Utah open lands dedication - Castleton Tower
Utahopenlands.org
UTAH OPEN LANDS Invites you to CELEBRATE the DEDICATION at Castleton Tower
Saturday, April 2nd, 2005
At the base
Celebration 3pm-dusk
Plaque Dedication Ceremony: 4pm
NO FEE
Reservation Requested call toll free 877.800.CTPI
Call to make special climbing arrangements
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Rally For Railay
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Railay Beach and Phi Phi Island in Thailand have amazing limestone cliffs that were hit by the tsunami in December. To help Railay locals who were victims of the disaster, make a donation to the Rally for Railay Fund; administered by Sam Lightner, a longtime seasonal resident of the area with close ties to the local people and former Access Fund board member. Send checks made payable to: Rally for Railay Fund, c/o Sam Lightner, P.O. Box 987, Banff, Alberta, T1L 1A9, Canada.
Furthermore, the best thing climbers can do for the locals in these tourism-dependent areas is to plan a visit soon. The hotels, restaurants, and boats are operating fully again, and the local businesspeople desperately need business.
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Access Fund Launches Website Redesign
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In case you have not heard, the Access Fund has officially launched its newly redesigned website. After a year of development, the new website went live on January 28th. Check it out today at http://www.accessfund.org/
The site was designed by Ray Snead of Bluetrope Consulting and is a product of extensive research and work by Access Fund staff, supporters and consultants. Please check out the new website and send us your comments, feedback or suggestions to af-enews@accessfund.org
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To streamline the events process, the AF has created a new page on the website under the EVENTS where interested people or groups can complete a webform for their event. If your event qualifies, membership materials and goodies may be sent additionally. All events the AF is involved with will be included on the event schedule. The deadline for event registration is one month prior to event. To register an event, visit:
http://www.accessfund.org/events/index.php
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Vertical Times #62 (February Issue) is Online as a PDF
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The February issue of Vertical Times (volume 62) is online as a PDF file for downloading. The issue offers additional news and photos (not included in the Access Fund E-News). It can be downloaded from http://www.accessfund.org/news/vt.php (Adobe Acrobat is required).
The Access Fund is still giving members the option of viewing Vertical Times online instead of receiving the paper version. This decreases printing and mailing costs, thus allocating more funds to protect YOUR CLIMBING FUTURE. To take part in this effort, and cease shipment of the Vertical Times to your home, e-mail your name and address to memberservices@accessfund.org with "Remove Vertical Times" as the subject.
Presently, 2024 members have chosen our online option - a savings of over $10,120 per year to be utilized towards the Access Fund's Mission to preserve and conserve the climbing environment.
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