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A PRIMER on LOBBYING Access Fund Board President Dave Rosenstein, NJ EDITORIAL

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A PRIMER on LOBBYING Access Fund Board President Dave Rosenstein, NJ EDITORIAL THE NATIONAL PUBLICATION OF THE ACCESS FUND VOLUME 55, DECEMBER 2003 ACTIVIST TOOLBOX — A PRIMER ON LOBBYING Access Fund Board President Dave Rosenstein, NJ EDITORIAL . 3 Vice President ACTIVIST'S TOOLBOX . 4-7 Mark Kroese, WA POLICY UPDATE . 8 Secretary AWARDS. 9 Eric Hobday MEET THE ACCESS FUND . 10 Treasurer Leslie Brown, WA ADOPT-A-CRAG THANKS . 11 Board of Directors LETTERS . 12 Lance Brock, TN Mary Cablk, NV MEMBER BENEFITS . 13 Tommy Caldwell, CO CORPORATE PARTNERS. 14 Andrew Carson, WY Ken Cline, CO THANKS, FRICTION ADDICTION Keith Cole, Washington, DC Malcolm Daly, CO TOUR . 15 Becky Hall, CO Jeff Holt, NJ LCOS. 16 Pat Jodice, SC Gene Kistler, WV The Access Fund is a national, nonprofit orga- Sam Lightner, Jr.,WY nization dedicated to keeping climbing areas Marte Lightstone, NM open & conserving the climbing environment. Bob Margulis, WA Since its incorporation in 1990, the Access John Myers, NY Fund has provided more than $2 million for Dan Nordstrom, WA climbing conservation and education across Kurt Smith, TX the US. We’ve paid for land purchases, climb- Jeff Widen, CO ers’ campgrounds, educational brochures, toilets, signs, and scientific research on climb- Honorary Board Members ers’ impact on birds of prey and cliff-dwelling Michael Kennedy, CO plants. For more information, please contact: Armando Menocal, WY www.accessfund.org Bill Supple, VT phone: 303-545-6772 Access Fund Staff address: P.O. Box 17010 Executive Director Boulder, CO 80308 Steve Matous . [email protected] Vertical Times is the membership newslet- ter of the Access Fund published six times Development Director a year in February, April, June, August, Heather Clark . [email protected] October, and December. Authorizing organi- zation: The Access Fund, 207 Canyon, Suite Access & Acquisitions Director #201 South, Boulder, CO 80302. Shawn Tierney . [email protected] This issue date: December 1, 2003. Volume #55. Price: $35/year. Grassroots Coordinator Editorial Director & Designer: Deanne Buck. [email protected] John Heisel Editors: Kerry Cowan and Steve Matous Policy Director Jason Keith. [email protected] Cover photo: Located in Washington’s remote Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Prusik Peak exem- Publications Director plifies what’s at stake when the federal land man- John Heisel. [email protected] agement agencies consider the legality of fixed anchors. Have an opinion about fixed anchors or other climbing issues? See page four to read Jason Membership Director Keith’s “Primer on Climbing, Politics and Climber Kerry Cowan. [email protected] Activism” to read how you can make a difference. Director of Operations (Photo courtesy of Cliff Leight) Cindy Trotter. [email protected] 2 2 3 Ice Season is at Hand that formalizes our representation of the With snow fl ying and water freezing climbing public on issues related to access in the temperate regions of the country, and stewardship, and developing climbing we know the year is drawing to a close. management plans in the North Cascades Ice climbing stirs the imagination and are all successes we can be proud of. passion of many, while others go indoors We continued to lay the groundwork for or further south to chase the rock. With future initiatives with events like Climbers for the new year close at hand, we all tend to Political Action in Washington, DC this past refl ect on the past years doings and look May. This outreach to Congress strengthened forward to the challenges ahead. For us our ties and opened doors with legislators at the Access Fund, the year has been whose districts include signifi cant numbers of fi lled with numerous successes, a few climbers or climbing areas. disappointments and plenty of challenges Our challenges for the year ahead yet to come. include capturing the newer participants In a very tough to our sport and economic climate making them aware with all non-profi ts of issues facing feeling the downturn, us: our access to we have managed to climbing areas and continue our high level responsibility for of services through stewardship of diligent control of our the resource. The expenses and great increase in use (due support from all of to the popularity of you in the climbing climbing) results community. Volunteers in environmental continue to work hard impacts, which are and advocate at the often what lead grassroots level on to restrictions or behalf of our mission closures by the to keep climbing areas land managers. open and conserve the John Heisel Through our Adopt- climbing environment. A-Crag stewardship Our Climbing Preservation Grants, program and other while small in dollar amount ($120,000 conservation efforts we are making this year), go a long way to help provide progress, but we need your help to do seed money and proactively support the more. Climbers have always had a strong projects that mean so much to the local conservation ethic and good relationship climbing communities around the country. with the land. Indeed many of us climb Examples of grant recipients range because we love being out in the sun or from new local climber organizations to on the ice. helping the BLM manage issues related In the end, like climbing itself, it is only to the explosive growth in bouldering in through our individual responsibility for areas such as Bishop, California, to the these issues that we can succeed and purchase of land in Vermont, trail projects keep climbing free and a privilege we can in new Hampshire, and work on climbing all enjoy for many generations to come. management plans in North Carolina. Best Wishes for a happy holiday season Access and Policy work often involve and a great new year! long hours of meetings over the course of many months and years before results Sincerely, are shown, and 2003 is no exception. However, we are seeing the fruits of our labor from previous years. The opening of Castle Rocks State Park in Idaho, signing Steve Matous a national agreement with the USFS Executive Director 2 3 A Primer on was to eventually establish a state park Climbing with climbing as a primary purpose. Politics and However, climbers needed confront Climber Activism several challenges before they could by Jason Keith, Policy actually get on the rock and playing politics Director was needed to grease the necessary wheels. Sealing the Deal at Castles In 1999 Sam Davidson, former Access Despite over four years of Fund’s policy analyst, testifi ed on Capitol negotiating, meeting, organizing, fund- Hill in support of the Castle Rocks Ranch raising, and lobbying, climbers were still Acquisition Act. Passed the following year, waiting for access to Castle Rock Ranch. this piece of legislation, sponsored by After all that heavy lifting by numerous U.S. Senator Larry Craig, authorized the volunteers and organizations, “Castles” release of funds to the NPS to purchase was still sitting there in the summer of Castles from the Conservation Fund. The 2002 waiting to be climbed. It was time to Act also directed the transfer of Castles to light some fi res. the state of Idaho in exchange for property As most folks that climb at the City within the Hagerman Fossil Beds National of Rocks know, Castles was a virtually Monument. By 2000, things were looking untouched climbing resource located just good for opening Castles to climbing, but one valley north of the “City.” Although there were still more challenges: before a climbing competition had been held at the state received Castles, the NPS would Castles back in the 1980s, this wonderland have to fi nish the requisite environmental of rocks was still private property and off assessments and the agency was currently limits until climbers began efforts in 1998 preoccupied with other “high priority” to acquire Castle Rock Ranch and put it projects and had little money to devote to into public ownership. A plan materialized: the Castles project. Once again, calling on a group of interested parties consisting Congress would get things moving. of The Conservation Fund, the Access On previous trips to Washington I had Fund and the Idaho Department of Parks worked with Senator Craig’s offi ce on a and Recreation (IDPR) would buy the variety of issues, most recently seeking ranch with the understanding that the support on fi xed anchors in wilderness Conservation Fund would temporarily issue. So I called Senator Craig’s offi ce hold title. The Conservation Fund would and talked with Calli Daly, his legislative then sell the property to the National Park assistant for public lands. I urged her to Service (NPS) who would then exchange make some phone calls to Idaho and the Castles with the state of Idaho for some regional NPS offi ce to see if we couldn’t in-holdings within a national monument a somehow prioritize the environmental few hundred miles away. For the climbing analyses and get Castles transfer to IDPR community, the whole point of this and open the area to climbing. After all, convoluted series of property transfers the Access Fund donated a lot of money towards buying Castles, and Craig had sponsored the legislation authorizing its purchase. Convincing Calli to help wasn’t a hard sell, as she was just as interested in getting something done because many of Senator Craig’s constituents supported the deal and were anxious to see the state park open. The call paid off. Shortly after my lobbying effort and Calli’s calls out to Idaho, the NPS completed its work, and in early 2003 several organizations and Jason Keith individuals met at Castles to hammer out Climbers reaping the benefits of activism and "talking politics" the details of a climbing management plan. at the newly reopened Castles State Park, Idaho.
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