ACTION ALERT
Help Shape Climbing at Arches National Park, UT
Park Seeks Public Comment through May 4 on New Climbing Management Plan
Arches National Park recently announced that it will begin the “scoping” phase for a new climbing management plan (CMP) in the park giving the public the first of two opportunities to weigh in on new climbing policies for Arches. In 2006, the high profile and controversial ascent of Delicate Arch raised mainstream public interest and the Park’s concern about issues associated with technical rock climbing. The park responded by imposing new widespread restrictions that limited climbing on historic towers and climbing routes, many of which were established before Arches became a national park. In particular, a new ban on fixed anchors caused concerns among climbers because the new rule not only limits the establishment of new routes requiring descent anchors, but also prohibits ascents of aid climbs that require the use of removable pitons. For more background check out this radio interview with KCPW from Salt Lake City: www.kcpw.org/article/3202.
To remedy the negative PR from the Delicate Arch ascent, local Moab climbers rallied and began working with the park to clean-up visible and poorly maintained anchors in an attempt to rehabilitate climbers’ relationship with the park and show that the actions of one climber are not representative of climbers as a whole. Details of this effort can be found here: www.mountainproject.com/v/utah/moab_area/arches/105913581.
Now, Arches National Park is asking the public for suggestions about options regarding climbing activities in the park as well as issues to be addressed which, the parks says, will include the effects on natural and cultural resources, use of fixed hardware, designating climbing routes, development of approach trails, rock alteration, vegetation alteration, visual impacts and the effects of climbing on visitor safety and experiences. The National Park Service now seeks public comment whether this is the appropriate scope for the Arches CMP.
The new CMP will “consider a full range of alternatives to protect resources, visitors and visitor experience.” Once this scoping phase is complete later this spring, the park will craft a range of alternatives (including a preferred alternative) that will then also be published later this year for public review and comment. This second phase will consider more detailed scenarios for managing Arches climbing.
Scoping comments may be submitted until May 4, 2007 over the internet at parkplanning.nps.gov or by mail (no emails) to:
Superintendent
Arches National Park
PO Box 907
Moab, UT 84532.
For additional information see www.mountainproject.com/?cnredirect=MOAB or contact jason@accessfund.org.