ACTION ALERT
Your Comments Needed To Open Auburn State Recreation Area To Climbing, CA
Auburn State Recreation Area (ASRA) in Northern CA near Sacramento is in the beginning phase of developing its General Management Plan. NOW is the time to let land managers know that allowing climbing at ASRA is important to you.
Despite a long history of climbing in California, Auburn State Recreation Area banned climbing in 2003. Closure of the ASRA to technical rock climbing has been justified by risk/liability issues, shortage of parking at the trailhead, and dangers of loose rock. In light of the long history of climber use of the resources prior to this ban, and California State Park’s acceptance of climbing as a permitted use on most lands within its jurisdiction, it is time that the Auburn State Recreation Area Management Plan is amended to explicitly permit climbing, in all its disciplines, and to recognize climbing as a legitimate, valued and positive use as it is on public lands throughout the world.
How you can help:
1. Write a letter
Send a well constructed, short letter urging the ASRA, Bureau of Reclamation and California State Parks to include rock climbing as a legitimate use of SRA lands. To view the Access Fund’s letter, visit: www.accessfund.org/pdf/AFASRA.pdf.
Here are some points you may wish to include in your comments:
•State why climbing at this area is important to you.
•The relative lack of other climbing cliffs and climbing opportunity within a 50-mile radius of greater Sacramento makes ASRA an indispensable and unique resource for the climbing community.
•The limestone cliffs of the Auburn SRA contain the greatest profusion of quality climbing routes available to the Sacramento region during the winter, when the granite cliffs of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are snowed in. At other times of the year, they offer the closest good quality climbing to the Sacramento Metropolitan Area.
•Climbers have been and continue to be willing to work with the California State Parks to develop reasonable climbing regulations and area-specific climbing management plans as may be necessary.
•Other state areas such as Mt. Diablo, Castle Crags, Malibu, and Castle Rock State Parks, which are currently being managed under the same usage plans as those in effect at the Auburn SRA, allow technical rock climbing on their rock cliff faces.
•Other Federal areas (the ASRA is owned by the US Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and BoR controls how California State Parks manages the Auburn SRA) also routinely allow technical rock climbing, including Pinnacles National Monument, El Dorado National Forest (Lover’s Leap and Sugarloaf climbing areas), Tahoe National Forest (Donner Summit and Emerald Pools climbing areas), Yosemite National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.
•California Government Code 831.7(a) and 831.7(b)(3) specifically exclude rock climbing as a possible source of liability for government entities and their workers. Regarding parking, the peak season for climbing in the ASRA is in winter, when other recreational activities have their lowest participation, so there is little conflict between climbing and other recreational pursuits.
•The trailhead parking area could easily be expanded into an area where a landslide stopped in the 1986 flood. Additionally, the Quarry Trail, which accesses the old limestone quarry, and is actually a very wide gravel road that once accommodated 2-way traffic of large 18-wheeler rock-hauling trucks, and could be gated ¼ mile farther down the road, and widened slightly, to allow for substantial roadside parking.
•Loose rock is a common hazard at many climbing areas. As such, rock climbers and other recreationists assume the risk of injuries from loose rock.
Send your letters to:
Jim Micheaels jmiche@parks.ca.gov,
Project Manager, California State Parks Gold Fields District
Shay Lutje s.lutje@ciclepoint.com,
Project Coordinator for ASRA General Plan: CirclePoint
2. Get involved
Public involvement will be a key component in the planning process. ASRA is currently holding stakeholder meetings and public workshops at key points in the process to keep the public informed and to solicit input. The second series of workshops is currently underway. Contact Jim Micheaels jmiche@parks.ca.gov or Shay Lutje s.lutje@ciclepoint.com to let them know you want to be a part of this process.
3. Stay informed
For more information, recent discussions and updates go to: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24325
Newsletters will be distributed periodically throughout the process to keep you updated on the project progress. A webpage is being developed for the Auburn SRA GP/RMP on the California State Parks internet site at www.parks.ca.gov. When this webpage is completed you will be able to access the site via the “Find a Park” feature and the Auburn SRA web-page or the links to “General Plans in Progress.”
Background information:
California State Parks is collaborating with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to prepare a joint General Plan/Resource Management Plan for the Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA). California State Parks manages Auburn SRA through a contract with Reclamation. Auburn SRA is comprised of forty miles of river canyon along the North and Middle Forks of the American River.
The General Plan/Resource Management Plan will define a long term vision for the park unit, will provide guidelines for the protection and management of natural and cultural resources, will determine the use and management of the many recreation activities which occur in the SRA and will identify any additional facility improvements.
Please take a moment to submit your comments on this important issue