Climber: Angela Payne at Hound Ears Bouldering Comp Photo: John Heisel John Comp Photo: Bouldering Ears at Hound Payne Climber: Angela 2001-20022001-2002 BoulderingBouldering CampaignCampaign The Access Fund’s bouldering campaign hit bouldering products. Access Fund corporate and the ground running last month when a number community partners enthusiastically expressed of well-known climbers signed on to lend their their support for the goals and initiatives of support for our nationwide effort to: the bouldering campaign at the August •Raise awareness about bouldering among land Outdoor Retailer Trade Show held in Salt Lake managers and the public City. •Promote care and respect for natural places As part of our effort to preserve opportuni- visited by boulderers ties for bouldering, a portion of our grants pro- •Mobilize the climbing community to act gram will be targeted toward projects which responsibly and work cooperatively with land specifically address bouldering issues. Already, managers and land owners two grants that improve access and opportuni- •To protect and rehabilitate bouldering ties for bouldering have been awarded (more resources details about those grants can be found in this •Preserve bouldering access issue.) Grants will also be given to projects that •Help raise awareness and spread the message involve reducing recreational impacts at boul- about the campaign, inspirational posters fea- dering sites. The next deadline for grant appli- turing Tommy Caldwell, Lisa Rands and Dave cations is February 15, 2002. Graham are being produced that will include a Another key initiative of the bouldering simple bouldering “code of ethics” that encour- campaign is the acquisition of a significant ages climbers to: •Pad Lightly bouldering area under threat. There are a num- •Climb Invisibly ber of areas currently under consideration. If •Leave it Natural you know of an area where access to a boulder- The posters will also include logos of promi- ing area is threatened, please contact acquisi- nent climbing industry manufacturers who have tions director Shawn Tierney at endorsed the campaign. Look for the posters at [email protected]. Visit our web site at events and in climbing gyms and retail shops www.accessfund.org soon. Additional education and outreach mate- and click on rials to be developed in the coming months “Projects” to learn include stickers and laminated tags with the more about the campaign message to be used on sales tags of campaign. Letter from Sam Davidson, AF Executive Director It’s November, and that means great weather and colors here along the Front Range in Colorado. Change is in the air, and each day seems full of potential. THE BIG STORY Change is also evident in our newsletter, as 2000-2001 Bouldering Campaign . .p. 1 you no doubt have noticed. We have gone to a different design to improve readability, reproduc- LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR tion of photos and images, and to reduce mailing Sam Davidson discusses the Vertical Times costs – the new format will save us as much as $500 per issue. These improvements can be attrib- redesign and climbing freedoms . .p. 2 uted largely to the talents of our Publications POLICY UPDATE Director, John Heisel. Use Fees, Oregon Caves . .p. 3-4 We are continually striving to upgrade the quality and effectiveness of our outreach to the AREA REPORTS climbing community. I invite you to tell us what Regional access news across the nation more – or less—you would like to see in our newsletter. Send us an e-mail at info@access- . .p. 5-6 fund.org, or call 888-863-6237. RESOURCE UPDATE Autumn has always been my favorite time of Fourth Cycle 2001 Grants, New AF year, and my favorite season for climbing. This year, of course, things seem different, as a conse- Publication, Rare Plants & Rock quence of the events of September 11. At times Climbing. .p. 7-8 like this, we may begin to question whether activities like climbing are really as important as we thought they were. CORPORATE PARTNERS Over my 25 years of climbing, guiding, and Access Fund Corporate Partners . .p. 9 activism, I have too often observed the transfor- mative power of climbing to doubt its signifi- cance, even now. Moreover, America’s mountains, ADOPT-A-CRAG . crags and boulders represent what is most beauti- 2nd Annual Event a Success! . .p. 12 ful and enduring in our society – they are sym- bols of our nation’s achievements, and havens we The Access Fund is a national, nonprofit visit to nurture and restore our spirits. dedicated to keeping climbing areas open Now, more than ever, America’s climbing areas & conserving the climbing environment. must be protected, and our opportunities to Since its incorporation in 1990, the Access enjoy them preserved. Fund has provided more than $1 million As we approach the end of 2001, I urge you to for climbing conservation and education remember the crucial role that non-profit organi- across the US. We’ve paid for land pur- zations, such as the Access Fund, play in our chases, climbers’ campgrounds, education- society and their reliance on individual dona- al brochures, toilets, signs, and scientific tions. I hope you will reaffirm your support for research on climbers’ impact on birds of worthy causes which contribute to a better stan- prey and cliff-dwelling plants. For more dard of living, a cleaner and healthier environ- information, please contact us. ment, and which help preserve the personal free- doms which are the heritage of all Americans. It www.accessfund.org is these freedoms, after all, which distinguish our nation from all others. phone: 303-545-6772 I wish you rewarding climbing and safe returns address: P.O. Box 17010 to your family and friends, now and in the future. Boulder, CO 80308 Best regards, Vertical Times is the membership newsletter of the Access Fund published six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November. Authorizing organization: the Access Fund, 2475 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304. This issue date: November 1, 2001. Volume #43. Price: $30/yr. Editorial Director: Sam Davidson Editor: John Heisel Exceeds 50 percent recycled content Heisel John Access Fund Helps to Congress should provide sufficient funding for Reduce Fee Demo the protection and maintenance of our public Extension from Four to lands through annual budget appropriations. Two Years and Increase Congress initially authorized Fee Demo in Appropriations for Land 1996 for a three-year test period. Following Agencies this “test” Congress extended the program for On October 10, the successive one-year periods, and recently pro- House and Senate posed a longer four-year extension. However, Interior Appropriations after strenuous lobbying by human-powered Subcommittees extended recreation groups, including the AF, Congress the Recreation Fee reduced the extension to two years. Congress Demonstration Program provided this extension “to allow the authoriz- (“Fee Demo”) for two ing committees to continue their assessment of years instead of the four years initially pro- this program and to provide for a permanent posed. This scaling back of Fee Demo is a victo- solution to this issue.” ry resulting from concerted lobbying efforts by Furthermore, Congress strongly encouraged the Access Fund, the Outdoor Industry “the agencies implementing this program to Association, American Whitewater, American focus on public service, work closely with local Hiking Society, American Alpine Club, Outward communities and the recreational industry, and Bound, and others. to use the receipts to enhance visitor services Fee Demo imposes fees on certain recreation- and reduce the backlog in deferred mainte- al users of lands managed by the federal land nance.” Significantly, the FY 2002 Interior management agencies. This is not an entrance Appropriations bill also increased general fee but a use fee for simply walking, paddling, appropriations to the federal land management climbing, fishing or biking on public lands. The agencies as advocated by the Access Fund and Fee Demo program was intended to supplement, others. not supplant, the general appropriations While the human-powered recreation com- approved by Congress to support our public munity succeeded in limiting the extension of lands. Fee Demo, however, has been plagued Fee Demo and increasing general appropria- with problems related to implementation, tions, there is more work to be done. Jason agency accountability, and fairness. Public sup- Keith, AF Policy Analyst, attended the port for the program has decreased consider- September 25, 2001 Oversight Hearing on Fee ably. Demo held by the House Subcommittee on The Access Fund opposes the implementa- Forests & Forest Health, and submitted testimo- tion of use fees to access wilderness areas and ny for that hearing. He also lobbied Congress other backcountry areas where significant about restructuring the Fee Demo program to administrative support is neither required nor reflect the policy position of the Access Fund. desired by visitors. There should be no “pay-to- For more info see www.accessfund.org. play” where “playing” costs virtually nothing. America’s national parks, forests, wildlife Access Fund Appeals Climbing Closure refuges, recreation areas and open spaces are at the Road 18 Caves Near Bend, OR the heritage of every citizen and access to On October 11, 2001, the Access Fund filed these lands should be equally available to all. an administrative appeal of a US Forest Reese Martin Climbers at the entrance of the Road 18 Caves near Bend, Oregon. The Access Fund recently filed an administrative appeal of a US Forest Service decision to remove bolted routes and ban chalk use at the caves. Service (USFS) decision for the Road 18 Caves near Bend, Oregon to remove bolted Access Fund Board routes, ban chalk use and prohibit any President type of climbing in Hidden Forest Cave. Becky Hall, CO–The Nature Conservancy The decision failed to provide evidence Vice President that climbing should be treated differently than uses such as caving and hiking, Mark Kroese–Author & Climber Activist which are not subject ot the same level of Secretary restriction.