After reading “Invasion of the Rock
Jocks” (HCN, 7/7/03: Invasion of the Rock Jocks), one might
conclude that rock climbing impacts the environment on the scale of
coal mining or desert off-road races. The article does highlight
some real issues, but the generalizations are a little too
sweeping, the values and motivations of climbers are a little
short-shrifted, and the slice of the climbing world the article
looks at is a little too thin.
It would be folly to claim
that rock climbing has no effect on public land, but to speak of
climbing’s impacts in the same context as those of off-road
vehicles or mining is to overreach in the extreme. Does this mean
climbers should be let off the hook? Of course not. It’s
simply a matter of addressing the issues fairly, and crafting
appropriate solutions. The article lumps climbers’ tactics
with those of industrial lobbies — a ridiculous comparison.
Industry uses armies of lawyers, campaign dollars, and manipulated
reports to get its way. Climbers use tools like cooperation,
negotiation, and advocacy as best they can.
The article
also paints as negative the demand by climbers that restrictions be
based on good science. Yet environmental groups do this every day
— demand good science for public land decisions — and
rightly so.
The climbing community is more active than
ever before to mitigate its impacts. Consider these examples of
climbing restrictions supported by the Access Fund, the principal
climbing advocacy group in the country:
• In Boulder
Mountain Parks, the Access Fund helped craft a seasonal climbing
closure for crags that raptors use for mating and nesting.
• In West Virginia’s New River Gorge, the National Park
Service was about to close a long stretch of cliff to climbing,
although there was no evidence of use by peregrine falcons. The
Access Fund worked with the NPS to institute a voluntary seasonal
closure for the area and a monitoring program to identify falcon
activity.
• Devils Tower, Wyo., is considered sacred
to several Northern Plains tribes. In cooperation with the tribes,
climbers put a voluntary closure into effect each June.
Furthermore, the Access Fund is on record supporting wilderness
initiatives, including the Colorado Citizens Wilderness Proposal,
Nevada’s recently enacted Clark County bill,
Washington’s Wild Sky Wilderness bill, and Utah’s Red
Rock Wilderness Act. The organization promotes conservation more
than ever before. That is why I serve on its board.
The
point is this: Climbers as a group are largely conservation-minded,
and respect the need for appropriate levels of restriction on their
use of public lands. Contrary to being an “environmental
menace,” climbers represent a much-needed ally in the
struggle against those who value our public lands for nothing other
than their commodity production.
Jeff Widen
Bayfield,Colorado
The writer is associate director of the Colorado Environmental Coalition and oversees the organization’s wilderness program.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Don’t demonize climbers.
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