Comment from Sharon Birchfield
AnonymousSupportAdvocacy
Summary: The commenter, a steward for the Access Fund, supports the recognition of climbing as a wilderness activity and the allowance of fixed anchors. They request improvements to expedite anchor replacement and advocate for a clearer, programmatic authorization process for new climbing routes.
I’m a Washington State Climber Steward with the Access Fund, where I spend my days advocating for responsible stewardship of the public land we recreate on as climbers.
I support the recognition that climbing is an appropriate Wilderness activity and that fixed anchors, critical pieces of the climbing safety system, are allowable in Wilderness. I also support provisions to allow climbers to place or replace fixed anchors without authorization in the event of an emergency. I appreciate that the policy protects existing climbing routes that were developed before the PARC Act was passed into law. Legacy Wilderness climbs should remain available in order to preserve America’s rich climbing legacy.
Please improve policies to expedite timely replacement of fixed anchors in order to avoid unnecessary barriers to climber safety. The authorization process for new climbing routes that require fixed anchors should be easier to navigate. Please provide a clear path for programmatic authorization, or preauthorization, at climbing areas that do not necessitate case-by-case special use permits.