Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - October 8, 2021

Northwest:

--Outside is reporting that, "on September 28, a ruling by the British Columbia Supreme Court effectively removed police forces from the front lines of the Fairy Creek blockades, a 14-month-long act of civil disobedience dedicated to protecting old growth from logging in and around the Fairy Creek watershed on southwestern Vancouver Island. The court denied the application of the Teal Jones Ltd. timber company to extend an injunction order against protestors interfering with logging. The original injunction authorized the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to arrest and remove all demonstrators, peaceful or otherwise. Since enforcement began in May 2021, police have arrested more than 1,100 people, making this the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

Mt. Wilson in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

--The Access Fund is working to save Arizona's Oak Flat. "Right now, Congress is negotiating large scale investments in public lands through the budget reconciliation process—and climbing areas hang in the balance. How Congress will ultimately proceed, depends on what they hear from you in the coming days." To take action, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Huffpost is reporting that, "Tracy Stone-Manning was confirmed to lead the federal Bureau of Land Management on Thursday following a contentious confirmation process in which Republicans and conservative media labeled her an “eco-terrorist” and “violent extremist” for her connection to a tree-spiking incident in the late-1980s. Stone-Manning, a senior adviser for conservation policy at the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation and a former aide to Montana Democrats, will become the first confirmed director since Neil Kornze led the bureau under President Barack Obama. She’ll be charged with overseeing 245 million acres of federal land ― more than 10% of the entire U.S. landmass ―and 700 million subsurface mineral acres." To read more, click here.

--The Outside Business Journal is reporting that Maryland will have an office of outdoor recreation. "Last Friday, the state’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, announced the creation of the office within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He also announced that J. Daryl Anthony will serve as its first executive director." To read more, click here.

--Backpacker is reporting that, "three years after livestream viewers spotted them approach feeding bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Brooks River, three men are facing federal charges, federal prosecutors have announced." To read more, click here.

--A couple and their dog were attacked by a bear in North Carolina. From Backpacker: "On September 29, a couple was having a picnic near the Folk Art Center along the Asheville stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway when their unleashed dog began barking at a nearby black bear and ran towards it. In response, National Park Service officials say, the bear began to attack both the dog and the couple over the following minutes, leading to minor injuries. Ultimately, the pair and their pet were able to escape to the safety of their car." To read more, click here.

--It appears that Canadian Ski Resorts will require vaccination of both employees and ski area guests. To read more, click here.

--IFL Science is reporting that, "the melting of an ice sheet in Norway has revealed a pair of incredibly well-preserved skis that have laid untouched for some 1,300 years. The archaeologists who stumbled upon this discovery believe they might be the best-preserved pair of skis from prehistory ever discovered." To read more, click here.