--The Access Fund has written about how they will work with the Trump Administration on issues regarding climbing and public lands. To read their statement, click here.
Northwest:
--For some reason someone slaughtered a herd of elk near Ellensburg and left the animals to rot. There is a reward for information leading to an arrest. To read more, click here.
--Oregon Live is reporting that, "For the second year, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is waiving all parking and day-use fees the day after Thanksgiving, offering a more natural – and healthier – alternative to the American retail holiday." To read more, click here.
Sierra:
--It appears that SAR calls near Lake Tahoe are on the rise. According to the Lake Tahoe News, "The number of calls El Dorado County search and rescue crews go on has doubled since 2010. In 2015, EDSO SAR was called 89 times. (That doesn’t mean they went out each time.) In the first 10 months of 2016, SAR has been called 130 times. Most of those people don’t live in the area." To read more, click here.
--The women of the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol made a calendar. And no, it's not a bikini calendar. Instead it shows them at work on the mountain. Check it out, here.
--A pair of law enforcement rangers in Yosemite have been accused of illegially arresting and groping a female suspect. To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
--The Durango Herald is reporting that, "Bureau of Land Management personnel were heavily criticized Thursday for walking out of what was supposed to be a community meeting in Shiprock, New Mexico, to discuss the future of oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon. On Thursday, the BLM hosted the first of eight planned “scoping meetings” – in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs – intended to engage members of the Navajo Nation on concerns regarding drilling, as well as fracking, on sacred lands." To read more. click here.
--Red Rock Rendezvous will take place from March 24 to 27. This is the premire climbing event of the year. Early registration is now open. Early registration allows you to save money and while also providing you with better clinic options than when you register closer to Rendezvous! To register for the event, click here.
--According to the National Parks Traveler, "An accumulation of human trash and graffiti necessitates the closing of the Angels Landing Trail in Zion National Park in Utah on Thursday so crews can clean it up." To read more, click here.
Colorado:
--A climber fell one-hundred feet in an accident in Clear Creek Canyon on Friday. The climber was conscious when taken to the hospital, but there is limited additional information at this time. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--The Access Fund has some real concerns about a new NPS Director's Order that could allow Parks to ban climbing: "In the last few months, scandals have gutted the upper leadership of the National Park Service, and they are going through a major transition. NPS Director Jarvis will be retiring at the end of 2016, but before the Trump administration has a chance to appoint the next director, Jarvis will issue one last order, Director’s Order (DO) #100: Resource Stewardship for the 21st Century. This order outlines a framework for how the NPS will protect natural resources and steward national parks. The draft DO, cynically regarded by some as “DO-No”, institutionalizes a risk management strategy called the Precautionary Principle. If institutionalized, this Precautionary Principle would allow land managers to prohibit or restrict appropriate uses if “an activity raises plausible or probable threats of harm to park resources.” Sounds reasonable enough, but in practice this may not play out well for climbers and other recreation groups. The Access Fund supports well-substantiated, science-based decisions, and DO#100 would allow managers to prohibit or restrict climbing—without any evidence—if they believe it’s plausible that climbing activities might result in unacceptable impacts." To read more, click here.
--The Outdoor Industry Association reports, "In a major legislative victory for the outdoor industry, the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed the Outdoor REC Act, legislation that directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), to “conduct an assessment and analysis of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States.” Today’s unanimous House vote is an uncommon demonstration of bipartisanship and follows the bill’s successful passage by the Senate Commerce Committee." To read more, click here.
--Rock and Ice magazine is reporting that, "Rumbling Bald, a climbing area in western North Carolina, is caught in the center of a wildfire that is currently ravaging the surrounding landscape. The fire, located on state park land in the Party Rock area of Lake Lure, North Carolina, began on November 5." To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
--The Durango Herald is reporting that, "Bureau of Land Management personnel were heavily criticized Thursday for walking out of what was supposed to be a community meeting in Shiprock, New Mexico, to discuss the future of oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon. On Thursday, the BLM hosted the first of eight planned “scoping meetings” – in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs – intended to engage members of the Navajo Nation on concerns regarding drilling, as well as fracking, on sacred lands." To read more. click here.
--Hot off the presses, AAI Guide, Operations Manager and Blogger's new book is out. Jason D. Martin's Best Climbs: Red Rocks is a select book that covers the best climbs in the area! You can purchase it, here.
Colorado:
--A climber fell one-hundred feet in an accident in Clear Creek Canyon on Friday. The climber was conscious when taken to the hospital, but there is limited additional information at this time. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--The Access Fund has some real concerns about a new NPS Director's Order that could allow Parks to ban climbing: "In the last few months, scandals have gutted the upper leadership of the National Park Service, and they are going through a major transition. NPS Director Jarvis will be retiring at the end of 2016, but before the Trump administration has a chance to appoint the next director, Jarvis will issue one last order, Director’s Order (DO) #100: Resource Stewardship for the 21st Century. This order outlines a framework for how the NPS will protect natural resources and steward national parks. The draft DO, cynically regarded by some as “DO-No”, institutionalizes a risk management strategy called the Precautionary Principle. If institutionalized, this Precautionary Principle would allow land managers to prohibit or restrict appropriate uses if “an activity raises plausible or probable threats of harm to park resources.” Sounds reasonable enough, but in practice this may not play out well for climbers and other recreation groups. The Access Fund supports well-substantiated, science-based decisions, and DO#100 would allow managers to prohibit or restrict climbing—without any evidence—if they believe it’s plausible that climbing activities might result in unacceptable impacts." To read more, click here.
--The Outdoor Industry Association reports, "In a major legislative victory for the outdoor industry, the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed the Outdoor REC Act, legislation that directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), to “conduct an assessment and analysis of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States.” Today’s unanimous House vote is an uncommon demonstration of bipartisanship and follows the bill’s successful passage by the Senate Commerce Committee." To read more, click here.
--Rock and Ice magazine is reporting that, "Rumbling Bald, a climbing area in western North Carolina, is caught in the center of a wildfire that is currently ravaging the surrounding landscape. The fire, located on state park land in the Party Rock area of Lake Lure, North Carolina, began on November 5." To read more, click here.
--The National Park Service has just announced "free days." These are days when you can enter the Parks for free! For a complete list, click here.
--The Mugs Stump climbing grant has opened for applicants. According to Alpinist, this award was "established in 1993 to honor the late Mugs Stump, each year the Mugs Stump Award provides grants to a select number of individuals and teams whose proposed climbs present an outstanding challenge—a first ascent, significant repeat or first alpine-style ascent—with special emphasis placed on climbers leaving no trace of their passage." To read more, click here.
--The Mugs Stump climbing grant has opened for applicants. According to Alpinist, this award was "established in 1993 to honor the late Mugs Stump, each year the Mugs Stump Award provides grants to a select number of individuals and teams whose proposed climbs present an outstanding challenge—a first ascent, significant repeat or first alpine-style ascent—with special emphasis placed on climbers leaving no trace of their passage." To read more, click here.
--People of color often have a different experience than white people when accessing the outdoors. USA today has written an excellent article about this difference and some of the things that are happening to change this in their article: For People of Color, Hiking isn't Always an Escape.
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