Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (CONWR), more commonly known as Devils Kitchen or Opies Kitchen, is planning to officially shut its’ doors to all forms of rock climbing. This plan, if put into effect, would close access to the well-known Opies Kitchen bouldering area. But it’s not too late. We are asking every climber who has visited either Southern Illinois or Opies Kitchen to write a letter in hopes of saving this place. Please tell your friends, family and people who hold respected positions to take part.

ALL LETTERS MUST BE IN NO LATTER THAN FRIDAY, AUGUST 24

ACT TODAY

Send a letter or email to Dan Frisk of CONWR and let him know what an important and unique resource Opies Kitchen is to climbers. Urge Mr. Frisk to reconsider rock climbing as a compatible use at CONWR. CONWR is a unique natural area and climbing resource of significant importance for southern Illinoisans.

More letter writing tips:

- Importance of the area as a climbers’ destination

- Importance of Opies Kitchen to you personally

- Frequency of So Ill climbing

- Your respect to the wilderness

- Environmentally safe (travel on trail, pick up trash, leave no trace, etc.)

- Your willingness to help

- Contact info (include name and email)

Send emails to:

Dan_Frisk@fws.gov

Dan Frisk, Refuge Manager

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

In the Subject Line, please state: Rock Climbing is a Compatible Use of CONWR lands

Please send a copy to:

David Chancellor, SoIll Holds, Inc. (david@soillholds.com)

Background

In 1997 the Wildlife Refuge Conservation Act was instated mandating that all 545 National Wildlife Refuges must accommodate six particular topics: fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, recreation, environmental education, and interpretation. Last fall the CONWF held an open form for the public to make suggestions, during which our user group, rock climbing, was not represented. Shortly after this, rock climbing was deemed incompatible with the goals of the refuge. More directly it was stated:

Recreation and Technical Rock Climbing:

Background: Crab Orchard NWR is not typically considered a climber’s destination, but some demanding and varied rock climbs can be could in the southern portions on the Refuge. Over the years Refuge visitors have inquired about climbing, but climbing has never been officially permitted. Rock climbing has occurred in the Devils Kitchen and Little Grassy areas. The Refuge has in the past discouraged rock climbing activities such as jumping and diving from the rocks of Devils Kitchen Lake by not permitting swimming in the lake and by closing the area below to the Crab Orchard Dam Spillway to public access. Climbing opportunities can be found at nearby Giant City State Park.

Proposed policy: Recreational and technical rock climbing would not be permitted on the Refuge. This includes free-style rock climbing, rappelling and technical rock climbing. ”

Goal

Unfortunately, we have missed the deadline by a long shot we are coming around to the backdoor and trying to put our foot in. Basically, we are looking for support from the climbing community in Illinois, and throughout the nation.

We are working to gather as many formal letters as we can to build a packet for the people in power of Crab Orchard and for the people higher up. We stand a good chance for success if we work together to help this area stand lively with climbers.

A Few Minutes of Your Time Could Save Chimney Rock Park, NC Forever

Your Voice is Needed. Take Action Today!

Climbers have an opportunity to permanently conserve Chimney Rock Park, North Carolina from development. Your voice is needed.

The North Carolina State Parks is negotiating with the owners of Chimney Rock Park for purchase of their property. This would then be the centerpiece property for the new Hickory Nut Gorge State Park.

At the same time, the owners have also decided to list the park for sale to the highest bidder. There is a very real possibility of the park falling into the hands of a private developer with unknown intentions.

The most important national icon of North Carolina is at risk. If you want to save access to Chimney Rock Park, then it is imperative that you encourage the State of North Carolina to buy Chimney Rock Park.

Act Today

Send a letter or email to Governor Mike Easley. Urge Governor Easley to get personally involved in keeping the state and the park owners at the bargaining table until an agreement is reached to buy and preserve the park.

For letter writing tips, visit: www.savechimneyrock.net/you_may_contact_the_governor.htm

Governor Michael F. Easley

Officer of the Governor

20301 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

800-662-7952 (NC only)

919-733-4240 or 919-733-5811

E-Mail: www.governor.state.nc.us/Contact.asp

The more people who make their voice heard in support of saving Chimney Rock, the more it will help our cause of keeping Chimney Rock open and accessible to climbers and the rest of the public.

For more information including other actions needed to Save Chimney Rock, please visit Save Chimney Rock at: www.savechimneyrock.net/ To join the mailing list, please send an email to- savechimneyrock@aol.com

Please write your letters and emails TODAY.

NEWS

Cave Rock, NV Update: Access Fund Lawsuit Still Pending, Climbing Remains Closed

Over a year ago in mid-August of 2005 the Access Fund filed its most recent legal brief at the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals in the on-going attempt to keep climbing open at Cave Rock, a popular and important climbing area on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada. For more background see www.accessfund.org/pdf/CRbackgrounder3-28.pdf

In January 2005 at the district court level in Reno a judge upheld the US Forest Service (USFS) decision to ban climbing at Cave Rock; however, the district court prevented the USFS from removing any climbing bolts pending the lawsuit’s result.

The AF Board subsequently voted to pursue an appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. For now, since all briefs have been filed, we continue to wait for the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals to schedule oral arguments or render a verdict. The USFS declined to pursue mediation despite the Access Fund's hope that the conflict may be resolved out of the courtroom.

The climbing ban remains in place at least for the duration of the lawsuit, and it's critical that climbers continue to respect the climbing closure at Cave Rock while we work our way through the courts—ignoring the ban will only harm our case in court and reduce the chances that it will reopen.

For more information contact Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith at Jason@accessfund.org.

Access Fund Organizes Idaho Climbers to Reopen Twin Sisters at the City of Rocks, ID

In late June the Access Fund organized climber meetings across Idaho in Pocatello, Ketchum, and Boise to raise climber awareness, and meet with congressional representatives and park managers regarding the on-going climbing closure on the City of Rocks’ historic Twin Sisters formation. For background, see www.accessfund.org/display/page/AA/35

The Access Fund urges climbers to take three separate actions that could help reopen the Twin Sisters:

· Write congress now and push for an amendment to the Twin Sisters climbing ban (consult www.congress.org to find contact information for your congressional reps).

· Submit comments to City of Rocks (CIRO) when the draft climbing management plan (CMP) is released in early Fall 2006.

· Submit comments in ’07 or ’08 when the NPS finally analyzes the Twin Sisters closure in their comprehensive management plan.

National Park Service (NPS) planners will release a draft CIRO CMP at some point in late August or September we will cue you to write comments at that time. CIRO’s comprehensive plan is a ways out still, but that will be a crucial time for submitting your comments regarding the climbing ban on the Twin Sisters.

Email Kristo Torgersen at kristo@accessfund.org to get on our mailing list for this issue or keep your eyes peeled for future Access Fund Action Alerts. Additional background info can be found at www.accessfund.org/display/page/AA/35 and www.accessfund.org/pdf/AFciro.pdf

Yosemite National Park Plans for Tuolumne Meadows, CA

Yosemite National Park recently announced a Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan/Tuolumne Meadows Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. These two plans, which will proceed simultaneously, are referred to as the “River Plan” and the “Meadows Plan”.

See http://www.nps.gov/yose/planning for more background and information about how you can provide personal scoping comments, which can be submitted at public meetings, by mail, fax, and email. A draft document will follow the scoping process and should be available for public review in summer 2007.

To request a hard copy or CD ROM version of the Draft EIS and to submit written comments:

Mail: Superintendent, Yosemite National Park

Attn: Tuolumne Planning

P.O. Box 577

Yosemite, CA 95389

Fax: 209/379-1294

Email: YOSE_planning@nps.gov

The deadline scoping comments is September 7.

The River Plan will identify “Outstandingly Remarkable Values” for the ½ mile-wide Tuolumne River Wild and Scenic River corridor and provide broad indicators of acceptable and intended recreational uses occurring within its various segments, including the Meadows Segment where a small amount climbing is found such as on Lembert Dome. The National Park Service at Yosemite will likely determine use capacities for each segment of the river corridor, but this is unlikely to affect climbing access much as most of the climbing in the Meadows is outside of the river management corridor.

Probably of more interest to climbers is the Meadows Plan which will essentially implement the action items of the River Plan as it pertains to Tuolumne Meadows, and address “facilities issues that need immediate attention” at the Meadows like camping, lodging, stores, the grill and gas station.

The Access Fund’s position is that the NPS should retain as much Meadows camping as possible, identify additional camping opportunities in the region both in and outside the park, analyze noise concerns, and protect climbing opportunities in the management area—but essentially leave the Meadows "facilities" pretty much like they are today.

What do you think? We need to know your opinion. Write Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith (Jason@accessfund.org) and pass on your thoughts.

U.S. Forest Service in Oregon Attempts to Criminalize Fixed Anchors

BREAKING NEWS: Illegal Bolting Charge Dropped

(08/17/06)

The Access Fund received news from Medford, OR that the US Attorneys Office contacted a local defense attorney indicating that a citation will be dismissed that charged a climber with illegal bolting (see story below).

This particular citation was dismissed because there “appears to be no legal restrictions on the using anchor bolts on the Winema Forest.” For the last several weeks the Access Fund and local Oregon climbing community had rallied behind this issue, urging both national and local USFS officials to drop this charge and follow management policies more consistent with national guidelines that allow the use and placement of fixed anchors on National Forest System land.

(08/16/2006)

Law enforcement officers with the Fremont-Winema National Forest in southeast Oregon have made new and unique interpretations of US Forest Service (USFS) policy and regulations in an effort to criminalize the use and placement of fixed anchors. Citations have been issued to climbers who put up routes with fixed anchors on National Forest land with no special management designation such as wilderness.

This is an ominous development for climbers and if not stopped, could lead to severe restrictions on developing new routes and new areas on federally-managed land elsewhere.

In the first case, climbers were charged under 16 USC 551 for “failure to remove personal property to wit: rock climbing gear” at the Sprague River Picnic Area near Bly, Oregon. The gear that was not removed consisted of bolts and top anchors—safety equipment that is intended to remain permanently in place. The climbers were also issued a written warning that they had violated 36 CFR 261.10(a): “rock climbing gear placed and maintained on National Forest when such activity requires a special use permit.”

In the second case, a climber was issued two citations under 36 CFR 261.10(a): building or maintaining trails without a special use permit. The climber had put up climbing routes that used fixed anchors for protection, replaced old, poorly located bolts used primarily for top-roping, and had improved a badly-eroding access trail at the Williamson Cliffs near Klamath Falls, Oregon. In these citations, the USFS law enforcement officer claimed that putting up a climbing route was the same thing as constructing a hiking trail, which requires a special issue permit. In both these cases the citations are without merit and the Access fund is supporting local Oregon climbers with their legal defense efforts.

Forest Service policy does not require that a climber obtain a special use permit to go rock climbing, whether climbing established routes or developing new ones. Nor has the USFS previously equated fixed anchors (bolts, pitons, etc.) with abandoned personal property (e.g. junker cars, hazardous materials). In both cases, the climbing occurred on USFS land that was not under a special management designation, such as Wilderness, proposed wilderness, traditional cultural property, or Research Natural Area. Climbing was not prohibited in either area at the time the climbers were cited, and both areas have long been used for climbing, particularly the Williamson Cliffs.

A trial date of August 31st has been set for one of the cited climbers. The climber has hired an attorney, and Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith will testify as an expert witness for the defense explaining why the interpretations made by the USFS law enforcement officers are unprecedented, in opposition to established policy, and therefore unlawful.

This trial will be very important in determining whether the USFS, and likely other federal land agencies, will recognize the legitimacy of using fixed anchors when climbing on federal land.

US Forest Service Land Sale is Off (at least for another year)

Earlier this year the Access Fund rallied local climbing organizations and advocates against an administration proposal to phase out federal support payments for county services and instead sell off over 300,000 acres of national forest land—some of which contain climbing resources—to fund the reduced payments.

Recently, Congress struck a deal whereby rural counties will continue to receive payments for their school and road budgets, and national forests will not be auctioned off—at least for one more year. See www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2006/08/09/news/news10.txt

Check out www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/rural_schools.shtml for more background. The US Forest Service (USFS) had created an auction list of lands scheduled for sale, and the proceeds were to temporarily fund a program supporting local county schools and government services. This proposal sparked controversy among local counties, environmentalists and recreation groups, generating thousands of advocacy letters against the idea.

The Access Fund opposed this proposal because some of the parcels included previously proposed wilderness and popular recreation areas. Moreover, we felt it was misguided policy to use the permanent sale of public resources to temporarily fund short-term budget needs. The Access Fund is in favor of federal funding for rural schools and roads, but the administration must find another way to support this program other than the permanent sale of public lands. To see our position in full, check out www.accessfund.org/pdf/AFComLandSale.pdf

The administration said it will keep up the payments program for one year at full funding levels, but neither the administration nor Congress has yet identified a source for the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to cover the one-year extension or for when that extension expires.

The USFS, however, is expected to revive its land sale proposal next year. See www.helenair.com/articles/2006/07/29/montana/a01072906_04.txt

Stay tuned to the Access Fund E-News and Vertical Times for any future updates of this issue.

$1,000 Fee to Climb Denali, AK?

Earlier this year word spread that Denali National Park and Preserve was considering increasing its fees to climb Denali and Foraker from $200 to as much as $1,000. The Access Fund and American Alpine Club have been lobbying National Park Service (NPS) officials and congressional representatives regarding this dramatic and unprecedented “special use” permit requirement.

Much of the park’s justification for the increase is that the mountaineering program already costs the NPS far more than budgeted and that climbers incur more costs than other user groups—even before any rescue expenses are added into the equation.

These points are debatable and the Access Fund feels that such a fee increase is not proportionate with NPS policy governing “special uses” because mountaineering is specifically written into the purpose for the park and climbers already pay an elevated fee to cover their costs.

The cost of the mountaineering program reflects NPS’s administration of the park, not the actual needs of mountaineers. Such an increase will create an affluence based restriction for people who will no longer be able to financially afford climbing Denali and Foraker. See www.accessfund.org/pdf/AFdenali.pdf for the AF’s past comments on Denali management issues.

In May, Access Fund Policy Director lobbied agency officials and congressional oversight committees in Washington, DC, expressing concern that climbers were being unfairly targeted with the Denali fees and that there were some potential options to reduce the costs of the mountaineering program such as downsizing the administrative camps on Denali and phasing in more self-reliance among climbers.

The American Alpine Club has also been very proactive in terms of identifying options to reduce costs that at the same time ensure the NPS complies with its mandate. Both organizations will work together moving forward to alert climbers when this fee increase is publicly announced and advocate for the interests of Alaska mountaineers.

Refer-a-Friend

“If you don’t vote in an election, you can’t criticize its outcome. Likewise, if you’re unhappy with the management of your favorite climbing areas, you can: a) Get involved by joining the Access Fund and your Local Climbing Organization, or b) Shut your pie-hole.”

Excerpt from the Spring ’06 Black Diamond catalog

We’re always talking about how important membership is to the future of climbing.

Now We Need Your Help…and We’re Busting Out The Schwag!

It’s Easy: Know a climber who’s not a member? Get them to join and receive free stuff. The more people you get to join, the more free stuff you get!

· REFER TWO FRIENDS and receive a Nalgene Flask.

· REFER FOUR FRIENDS and receive a Nalgene Flask and a dri-release wool T-shirt from Outdoor Research.

· REFER SIX FRIENDS and receive a Nalgene Flask, a dri-release wool T-shirt from Outdoor Research, and a North Face merino wool beanie cap.

The two top referrers will receive a bonus gift package worth over $150.

You are the greatest testimony to the benefit of membership!

REFER your friends by sending them to this link:

www.accessfund.org/join

They must enter your name in the “Referred by” box on the join form in order for their membership to count towards your total tally.
Awards will be sent on a monthly basis as your referrals accumulate.
Program will reset December, 31st 2006 so you have until the end of the year to receive these gifts.
The Access Fund reserves the right to substitute any gift based on availability.

AREA UPDATES

Partnership Provides Climbing Access, CO

Joe Brand, Eldorado Springs, CO

Eldorado Canyon State Park and the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks are partnering to provide climbing access to Cadillac Crag and Peanuts Wall, as well as reduce environmental impacts on their lands.

The popular rock climbing cliffs are adjacent to Eldorado Canyon State Park and are owned by the City of Boulder. Many climbers challenge their skills on these golden lichen-covered walls every year, resulting in numerous, braided, social trails leading up to the cliffs. Eldorado Canyon State Park leased these two climbing areas from the City of Boulder and the two agencies will work together to plan, raise money, provide volunteer opportunities, and construct sustainable access to these climbs.

Climbing groups Action Committee for Eldorado and Flatiron Climbing Council were instrumental in working out the agreement and will help with constructing the access trails. The installation of fixed climbing hardware on these cliffs will be managed under Eldorado Canyon State Park’s fixed hardware review process. Under the lease, Eldorado Canyon will enforce all state laws, including the regulation that dogs must be leashed and under control at all times. For more information on this partnership, contact Eldorado Canyon State Park at (303) 494-3943 or the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks at (303) 441-3440.

EZ Crack Boulder in GA Now Secure

Brad McCleod, The Southeastern Climbers Coalition

The EZ crack boulder is now secure after the house and land was purchased by a local climber.

The boulder is especially significant as it is the largest boulder in the entire ridgeline and has been closed to climbing for 20 years. Boat Rock is located in southwest Atlanta and is under constant threat from development to turn the surrounding areas into residential subdivision.

The land and EZ crack boulder will be surveyed and donated to The Southeastern Climbers Coalition Land Trust to become a part of the Boat Rock Preserve. The Boat Rock Preserve is now a community park and greenspace that is owned by The Southeastern Climbers Coalition and open to everyone.

Local climbers known collectively as "The Friends of Boat Rock" have worked steadily behind the scenes over the past few weeks to purchase the house and land before it was bought by anyone who may not be climber friendly.

The boulder has been off limits for the past twenty years as climbers were routinely shooed away from the area. Prior to 1986 the 30 foot tall boulder with numerous hand and finger cracks was led and top roped by many climbers and was featured in the original "Float the Boat" bouldering competition in 1985.

Please do not climb on the EZ crack boulder as there are still details that need to be worked out with the new purchase. The SCC will post info on the opening of the boulder in the near future. Please be patient as we finish out the details of this transaction.

The purchase of the EZ crack boulder is part of the long range plan to create a larger park (approximately 25 plus acres) spanning the forested ridgeline. Donations are gladly accepted to help pay down the current mortgage on the 7.8 acre tract within the Boat Rock Preserve.

You can send donations to:

The SCC

275 Stone Mill Trail NE

Atlanta, GA 30328

Note: The SCC would like to thank all of it's many supporters including the Access Fund for providing seed money to get the original Boat Rock project off the ground.

Torrent Falls, KY Faces New Threat

Bill Strachan, Executive Director Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition

After weathering a threatened closure earlier this spring due to problems with climber behavior, the popular Torrent Falls crag in Red River Gorge faces a new threat from the proposed sale of the property.

At the beginning of August, Mark Meyer the owner of Torrent Falls announced his intention to put the property on the market on September 1^st,2006. There is no guarantee that the next owner will be climber friendly. In fact the previous owner who developed the bed and breakfast on the property had closed the climbing area during their tenure.

The Torrent Falls crag has 47 routes ranging in difficulty from 5.6 to 5.13. It is a popular sport climbing destination due to its ease of access and the quality of the climbing including the five star Porter Jarrard routes Centerfire (5.11c), Bare Metal Teen (5.12a), Steelworker (5.12c), Racer X (5.12d) and Dave Hume’s rarely repeated five star route Paranoia (5.13b).

The entire property for sale amounts to 42 acres and, in addition to the crag, bed and breakfast, and cabins, includes the only true European Via Ferratta in the United States. The asking price for the property is $900,000. For details of the existing commercial operations being conducted on the property please visit: www.torrentfalls.com/

The RRGCC and the Access Fund are interested in seeing that the property is transferred to a climbing friendly owner. If you or someone you know would be interested in pursuing this opportunity, please call and leave a message on Bill Strachan’s voice mail at 1-888-804-1439 and he will return your call with contact information for Mark Meyer.

Williamson Rock, CA Closure Update

Troy Mayr, Friends of Williamson Rock

Friends of Williamson Rock (FoWR) will be presenting the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) with a formal proposal on Aug. 10th. This proposal is intended to address specific solutions to the issues of concern with respect to potential re-opening of Williamson Rock. These include but are not limited to, protection of the Mountain Yellow Legged Frog (MYLF), MYLF and 'Leave No Trace' educational signage, general outreach & education to the climbing community, trail work, human waste issues etc.

FoWR expects this proposal to result in ongoing dialog with the USFS and eventually arrive at a consensus plan that meets the needs of all concerned. As previously stated, the process required to facilitate the re-opening of Williamson Rock is complicated and will be lengthy, requiring full closure at least until next summer.

Please check out a summary of the current situation at www.williamsonrock.org/blog/

FoWR is working to increase awareness among climbers of the situation and would like to stress the importance of maintaining cooperative relations with the U.S. Forest Service as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

EVENTS

Events Calendar

09/16—09/17 Ross Park, Pocatello, ID. Pocatello Pump!

www.isu.edu/outdoor/pump.html

09/16—09/17 Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, AR. 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell

www.24hoursofhorseshoe.com

Adopt-a-Crag Calendar

Register Your Adopt-a-Crag Now!

08/26 Maple Canyon, UT. The Maple Canyon Clean-Up and Trail Work event hosted by The Front Climbing Gym and Liberty Mountain. Two days, 26 & 27. Gear raffle to follow event. Nathan Smith, nathans@libertymountain.com

08/26 Meadow Crags on the Deschutes River, OR. The Meadow Climbing Clean-Up hosted by Traditional Mountaineering. Meet at 9am to improve access trails and replace old anchors. Robert Speik, speik@bendcable.com

09/03 Lewis & Clark State Park, Broughton's Bluff, OR. The 4th Annual Broughton's Bluff Adopt-a-Crag 2006 hosted by the Access Fund Regional Coordinator - Oregon. 9:30am-2pm. Tony Holmes, nwwilderness@aol.com

09/06 Flagstaff Mountain Summit, CO. The Flagstaff Trash Bash hosted by the Flatirons Climbing Council. 5pm, trash clean up followed by free BBQ and raffle for all volunteers. Mega schwagalicious, uberfun event., Willie Mein, willie_mein@hotmail.com

09/09 Little Smoke Bluffs and Murrin Park, Squamish, BC. The Squamish Adopt-a-Crag hosted by the Climbers Access Society of B.C. 9am in both locations. Anders Ourom, aiourom@telus.net

09/09 Ross Park, Pocatello, ID. The Ross Park Clean-up hosted by the Idaho State University Outdoor Program. Peter Joyce, joycpete@isu.edu

09/09 New River Gorge, WV. The New River Gorge Adopt-a-Crag hosted by the New River Alliance of Climbers. Meet at Burnwood NPS facility at 9am. Elaina Smith, info@newriverclimbing.com

09/09 Carderock Recreation Area, MD. The Carderock Adopt-a-Crag is hosted by the Maryland Access Fund Regional Coordinator with support from many local climbing organizations. The event is from 9am-2pm, check-in at 8:30am. Thomson Ling, thomsonling@gmail.com

09/09 Obed Wild and Scenic River, TN. The 2006 Adopt-a-Crag at the Obed Wild and Scenic River hosted by the East Tennessee Climbers Coalition. Meet at Del and Marti's at 9:30am. Rick Bost, rickbost@aol.com

09/09 Q'emilin Park, Post Falls, ID. The North Idaho Adopt-a-Crag hosted by the North Idaho College Outdoor Pursuits. Paul Chivvis, paul_chivvis@nic.edu

09/09 Castlewood Canyon State Park, CO. The Castlewood Canyon Adopt-a-Crag hosted by REI Englewood. Meet at main lot of West Entry to recieve vehicle entry, breakfast available, BBQ afterward with raffle. All are welcome! Joshua Fox, jfox@rei.com

09/09 Sandrock, AL. The Sandrock Adopt-a-Crag hosted by the Southeastern Climbers Coalition. Meet in the parking lot at 9:30CST, half day of work, free lunch, gifts and gear raffle! Visit www.seclimbers.org for info, Michelle Connell, mconnell@blackcreekisc.com

09/10 Moonstone Beach, CA. The Moonstone Beach Clean-Up hosted by the Bigfoot Country Climbers Association. Bennett Barthelemy, bennettbarthelem@hotmail.com

09/10 Tettegouche State Park, MN. The North Shore Adopt-a-Crag hosted by the Minnesota Climbers Association and the University of Minnesota at Duluth. 10:30am to 3:30pm, meet at the Tettegouche State Park Visitor's Center. Kaija Webster, kwebster@d.umn.edu

09/16 Wendell, MA. Mormon Hollow Trail Day hosted by the Western Mass Climbers' Coalition., Jeff Squire, jeff@berkshiredesign.com

09/16 Eldorado Canyon, CO. Celebrate Eldorado hosted by the Action Committee for Eldorado (ACE). 9am-5pm. Accompanies a party at The Spot on 9/14 from 7-10pm. C. Archer, carcher107@aol.com

09/16 Calaveras Dome, CA. The Calaveras Dome Adopt-a-Crag hosted by Mountain Adventure Seminars. 8am-5pm.Tony Brown, tony@mtadventures.com

09/16 Griffin Falls near Collinsville, AL. The Griffin Falls Adopt-a-Crag hosted by the Southeastern Climbers Coalition. Starts at 9am CST. Visit www.seclimbers.org for directions to Griffin Falls and more info. Jeremy Boydston, jaboydston@yahoo.com

MEMBER BENEFITS

Get member only discounts on all the new stuff in the Access Fund MemberSHOP! www.accessfund.org/membershop

National Parks Pass

Buy your National Parks Pass through the Access Fund and we get $10 from your purchase! You have to buy it somewhere, so do it here.

Get your LIMITED EDITION AF Hoodies!

Thanks to prAna, these Limited Edition Hoodies are a smokin' deal! This is the only place you can purchase these hoodies and every penny goes to keeping your climbing areas open (not to mention the added benefit that you'll look good at the crag). Super-sweet 100% cotton lightweight fleece with contrast stitching. Full zip. Artwork by prAna. Quantities limited- get em before they're gone! S-XL $42 non members/$38 member price.

New Men's T-shirts

100% Organic Cotton prAna T-shirts. Those old T-shirts you've been wearing have more perforations than Swiss Cheese at City of Rocks. By purchasing our T, you can rebel against corporate dress codes and battle for climbers' rights at the same time. Artwork by Mike Tea. Sizes S, M, L, XL. Color: Black, Olive, Curry, Sand, Brown. $20 non members/$18 member price

New Women's T-shirts

100% Organic Cotton prAna T-shirts. Designed for a comfortable fit and ideal for steep sport climbs, bold runouts or just hanging out. Artwork by Mike Tea. Sizes S, M, L. Color: Black, Brown. $20 non members/$18 member price.

Outdoor Research Windshirt

Uber-ultralight, ripstop nylon shell with a breathable, wind and water-resistant polyurethane coating keeps epic conditions at bay. 3/4-length zipper allows easy on and off without adding unnecessary bulk. Stuffs into its own zippered pocket. Drawcord hem adjustment and elastic cuffs snug things down when the wind makes you rethink the crux moves. Ropegun pictured not included. 3.5oz./100g. Sizes M and XL Only (quantities limited). Color: Phyllite. Retail $89! $32 non members / $27 member price.

AF Extras

Cruise to the AF website and play ASANA PackWorks' video game Gunther's Big Day www.accessfund.com/extras/game.php Click through to ASANA's site to purchase the full version. $10 from each purchase made through this link will be donated to the AF. Go Gunther! Thanks ASANA!

View Access Fund Ambassador Chris Sharma sending a first ascent in the boulderProject promo spot www.accessfund.org/extras/promo.php

Grant Writer Volunteers Needed

The Access Fund is looking for volunteer grant writers to help us write proposals for the programs that support our mission. If you have grant writing experience and would like to volunteer please contact Whitney Self at whitney@accessfund.org.

Vertical Times 71: The Adopt-a-Crag Issue is Now Online!

Please check out the August Adopt-a-Crag Issue at www.accessfund.org/pubs/vt/VT71.pdf (1.4Mb)

Combined Federal Campaign

Are you a federal employee? Did you know you can donate to The Access Fund through the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)?

Federal employees, including federal civilians, military personnel, and U.S. Postal Service workers, can now donate to AF through the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The CFC is a charitable fundraising program where you give to the Access Fund through automatic payroll deductions.

If you are a federal employee, please look for the Access Fund (agency # 2361) in the official CFC listing of eligible donors. You can also make your contribution on-line by going to: www.conservenow.org, click on Search for a Charity, type in Access Fund and make your contribution there.