Exploration is core to the climbing experience. All of us feel its joy, whether we’re testing our personal limits, understanding new movements, experiencing new landscapes, or traveling to areas that inspire us. Wilderness locations like Yosemite National Park, the Wind River Range in Wyoming, and North Carolina’s Linville Gorge typify this inspiration. And climbing in all of these places is under threat.
On November 17, 2023, the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) issued draft climbing management guidance that would prohibit fixed anchors in Wilderness areas. Access Fund rallied the community to weigh in on these proposals, generating nearly 10,000 responses, and submitted our own comments to the draft guidance.
As climbers, fixed anchors are essential pieces of our safety system that allow us to safely and sustainably access vertical terrain. Without fixed anchors, many of the wildest and most inspiring places in America would become inaccessible to the public. That’s why we’re working to stop these proposals and protect sustainable Wilderness climbing practices and America’s climbing legacy.
Right now we’re working on three different strategies to protect sustainable Wilderness climbing:
Rally our bipartisan allies in Congress to speak up on climbers’ behalf, asking NPS and USFS leaders to scrap their draft guidance and start over with a public, stakeholder-driven process.
Elevate climbers’ voices to the Biden administration with a petition urging the president to save Wilderness climbing by restarting the process of writing Wilderness climbing guidance with public input. If you haven’t signed it yet, please do so now.
Advance America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (S. 873) and the EXPLORE Act (H.R. 6492) in Congress, both of which include provisions that would safeguard fixed anchors. These critical pieces of legislation could move forward at any time and our voices will be critical for getting pro-recreation legislation across the finish line.
Want the full spraydown? Keep reading.
Strategy 1: Rally Our Allies in Congress
We’re urging members of the U.S. House and Senate to craft a bipartisan, bicameral letter asking NPS and USFS leaders to scrap their proposed guidance on fixed anchors and start over with a public, stakeholder-driven process. We are thrilled to have so many stalwart leaders as allies, and will urge members of the U.S. House and Senate to join this letter once it’s released.
Our leaders recognize the positive impacts of America’s trillion-dollar outdoor recreation industry for communities around the nation. Climbing plays an important role in those benefits, to the tune of more than $12 billion. And it’s creating a whole new generation of advocates for wild places, helping to protect America’s Wilderness areas.
Strategy 2: Elevate Climbers’ Voices to the White House
President Biden has been an ally to climbers and conservationists before, including restoring Bears Ears National Monument shortly after taking office, establishing the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument that celebrates America’s rich climbing history, and launching the American Climate Corps, a major conservation initiative. Now, climbers need his help again.
NPS and USFS leaders report to the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, and they answer directly to the president. That’s why we’re asking climbers to sign a petition urging President Biden to stop the proposals to prohibit fixed anchors and save America’s Wilderness climbing. No matter where you live or climb, you can have an impact. Sign our petition today, and urge the president to save America’s climbing.
Strategy 3: Advance Federal Legislation
Last March, we worked with Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) to introduce the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act. This groundbreaking bill would protect sustainable Wilderness climbing and complement America’s Outdoor Recreation Act in the U.S. Senate. Both of these bills have advanced in their respective chambers without opposition. We appreciate the sponsors’ steadfast commitment to the climbing community.
Now, Congress is debating when and how to advance popular public lands management proposals within a larger recreation package of bills—currently called the EXPLORE Act in the U.S. House. The PARC Act is one of these proposals, and we’re working diligently to ensure that it’s part of the final EXPLORE Act package.
These proposals could move any day now, and when they do, we’ll need your support. Sign up to receive Access Fund action alerts, and we’ll let you know when and how to get involved.