Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 9/29/22

Northwest:

--Fire bans have been lifted in Mt. Rainier National Park.

--So a guy rode his bike down the classic Burgers and Fries wall in Squamish. To see a video of this stunt and more weird Squamish stunts, click here.

Sierra:

--There is a fledgling movement on mountainproject.com to petition for the elimination of the mandatory big wall permit system that is slated to go into effect soon. It should be noted that this system is similar to other backcountry permit systems in National Parks in the United States. To read more, click here.

--Inyo National Forest is looking for seasonal rangers.

--The Tahoe Daily Tribune is reporting that, "fire restrictions will be lifted Monday, Sept. 26, in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest due to recent rain and predicted cooler temperatures, officials announced Friday. The fire restrictions will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, in the the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Austin-Tonopah, Bridgeport, Carson, Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge, and Santa Rosa Ranger districts." To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The US Department of the Interior recently posted, "during a visit to Las Vegas today, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau announced that over $5.9 million in fiscal year 2022 funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support fuels management projects in Nevada on 14,655 acres of land across the state. This is part of $103 million allocated by the Department of the Interior earlier this year to reduce wildfire risk, mitigate impacts and rehabilitate burned areas. The additional funding will help complete fuels treatments on nearly 2 million acres nationwide this fiscal year, a substantial increase over the prior year. " To read more, click here.

Colorado and Utah:

--The Aspen Times is reporting that, "Aspen Skiing Co. faces civil allegations over its alleged refusal to refund a near $60,000 down payment to a family that booked and cancelled a wedding event at the Little Nell because of pandemic restrictions. Claims against Skico in a lawsuit filed in Pitkin County District Court by Iowa resident Cynthia Baxter and her daughter, Kayla Baxter of Syracuse, New York, include breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Other claims relate to civil fraud, not acting in good faith and negligent misrepresentation." To read more, 

click here.

Notes from All Over:

Hilaree Nelson

--The news of Hilaree Nelson's death has been everywhere, and it has shaken the ski mountaineering community to its core. We have found a few tributes that we'd like to share:

• Jim Morrison
• National Geographic
• New York Times

--"The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced more than $37 million in investments to improve vital recreation infrastructure located on national forests and grasslands. These investments are made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which devotes unprecedented resources to rural infrastructure improvements, including repairs on national forest lands. The funding, which includes $19 million for recreation sites and $18 million for cabins and historic buildings, aims to improve the nation’s recreation infrastructure, which is critical to the health, wellness, and prosperity of the American people." To read more, click here.--Reuters is reporting that, "the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Saturday launched a new office that will be focused on the needs of minority communities overburdened by pollution and oversee the delivery of $3 billion in environmental justice grants created by the recent passage of new climate legislation." To read more, click here.

--Here's a great piece on Protect Our Winters from the New York Times.