President Signs REC Act: Victory for Climbers

REC Act Victory

Emma Longcope

Just how much does the outdoor recreation industry contribute to our nation’s economy? A hell of a lot. But, unlike other industries, we don't know for sure because the federal government has never quantified outdoor recreation’s economic impact.

Thanks to the work of the Outdoor Industry Association and many of our partners, President Obama just signed the REC Act, which will be a game changer. The Act directs the Bureau of Economic Analysis to quantify just how much the outdoor industry contributes to job creation and consumer spending. The AAC is particularly psyched about this because:

1.) This analysis will provide a way to recognize the environment’s connection to our well-being-- politically, economically and personally. It’s an acknowledgement that the mountains and deserts and recreational landscapes do not exist in a void, but instead are intrinsically connected to our jobs, spending, income, and health.

2.) More information about the importance of recreational activities will help us make a stronger case for the importance of our public land for the economy, as well as for future generations and other species. Keeping our public lands in public hands has become increasingly important in today’s political landscape, and we are optimistic that conservation efforts will rise as a priority when policymakers receive quantified information regarding the recreational value of these wild places.

3.) We advocated for passage of the REC Act, and we’re excited to see our efforts result in action! In February 2016, along with a group of our board members and partners, we climbed Capitol Hill to talk with policymakers and advocate for the places we climb.

As Mark Butler, AAC Board Member and 37-year veteran of the National Park Service, said, “It is critically important for climbers to be represented in public policy at all levels of government. If we are not at the table, our issues will not be considered when the laws and policies affecting climbing are developed.” We will continue our advocacy work in DC and will keep you informed on the evolution of public policy that impacts climbers and the places we love to climb. We ask that you continue raising your voices in support of the places and pursuits at the heart of our AAC community. Cheers!

Banner photo: AAC member Austin Siadak

A New Political Climate: What's Next for Climbers?

As climbers, we have a unique connection to public lands and our environment. Beginning with its early founders, the American Alpine Club has a long history of environmental conservation and ethics, wilderness management and the scientific exploration of mountain regions.

The recent election has brought uncertainty about the future of our public lands and our environment. While our membership is politically diverse, we can agree that as a climbing community we bear a responsibility for protecting the places we climb and for protecting our right to clean air, clean water, healthy forests, rivers and deserts. Our mutual admiration for climbing and climbing landscapes unites us and transcends partisanship. Together we are stronger. And together we can do a lot of good.

Here are some of the ways we can get involved in protecting the places we climb and working toward our vision of healthy climbing landscapes:

• Stay informed: For public lands information, follow our partners at Outdoor Alliance. Learn about the latest environmental science with Yale Climate Connections, Protect Our Winters and NRDC. For updates on what Congress is up to, subscribe to The Hill.

• Learn how to be an advocate: Check out OA's Advocacy 101 series. 

• Act locally: Engage with your local AAC Chapter and organize a trail stewardship day. Apply for an AAC Cornerstone Conservation Grant. Connect with your local land trust, work with your local city council on sustainability initiatives, find ways to volunteer.

• Reduce your carbon footprint: Carpool to the crag. Ride your bike to work, walk or take the bus when possible. Reduce your water usage, reuse and recycle. Support clean energy sources.  

• Learn about AAC’s researchers and the work they’re doing on alpine science. Applications for research grants are open from November 15-January 15.

• Tell us about your local stewardship work so we can help spread the word.

AAC’s second president John Muir once wrote, “The mountains are calling and I must go and I will work on while I can, studying incessantly.” Most people don’t realize that quote doesn’t end with “and I must go.” Muir saw responsibility and purpose as well as pleasure in the mountains. So do we.

AAC Annouces 2016 Cornerstone Conservation Grant Recipients

The American Alpine Club (AAC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2016 Cornerstone Conservation Grants, powered by REI, Clif Bar and CamelBak. Our Cornerstone Grants support our vision of healthy climbing landscapes with annual awards to organizations, landowners, and individuals to fund projects such as human waste solutions, climbing trail restoration, and related infrastructure projects. "The Cornerstone Conservation Grant has helped us with many projects over the years— composting toilets, graveled parking lots and a graffiti removal initiative,” said Southeastern Climbers Coalition Executive Director, Cody Roney. “We greatly appreciate the American Alpine Club for providing this grant to make our LCO projects come to life."

A big thanks to our corporate partners and to our Cornerstone Conservation Grant Committee members. Congratulations to our 2016 Cornerstone recipients. 

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October 18, 2016, Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2016 Cornerstone Conservation Grants, powered by REI, Clif Bar and CamelBak. Our Cornerstone Grants support our vision of healthy climbing landscapes with annual awards to organizations, landowners, and individuals to fund projects such as human waste solutions, climbing trail restoration, and related infrastructure projects. "The Cornerstone Conservation Grant has helped us with many projects over the years— composting toilets, graveled parking lots and a graffiti removal initiative,” said Southeastern Climbers Coalition Executive Director, Cody Roney. “We greatly appreciate the American Alpine Club for providing this grant to make our LCO projects come to life."

 A big thanks to our corporate partners and to our Cornerstone Conservation Grant Committee members (listed below). Congratulations to our 2016 Cornerstone recipients:

Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition, Kentucky - $2,500
The Gallery, Pendergrass-Murray Recreation Preserve

With a high concentration of moderate routes in a small area, the gallery has seen an enormous spike in users and impact. Funds will be used for consultation with the American Conservation Experience (ACE) to help train future land stewards, ensure good drainage from area springs, the purchase of building materials where natural materials are not available, and plants to aid in re-vegetation efforts.

AAC Richmond Chapter, Virginia - $1,500
Manchester Wall

In partnership with the city of Richmond and the James River Outdoor Coalition, the AAC’s Richmond Chapter is constructing a dedicated access path and pedestrian benches on the Manchester Wall in Richmond, Virginia. This unique climbing area uses a historic bridge abutment as a way for local university students, summer camps and recreational climbers to learn lead climbing and rescue techniques.

Mid Atlantic Climbers, Maryland - $5,000
Carderock Climbing Area, Chesapeake and Ohio National Historic Park

Flood damage threatens to destroy riverbank retaining walls that prevent total erosion of this key regional climbing area. The project will repair and extend walls while adding more permanent design and materials.

Southeastern Climbers Coalition, Tennessee - $5,000
Denny Cove, Southern Cumberland Plateau

Funds will be used to help build out one of the region’s newest crags. Harboring over 150 routes on three-mile-long cliff side, the area is experiencing an enormous amount of climber traffic. Gravel and building materials are needed for road and parking lot construction, and trail building work.

Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, Utah - $750
Joe’s Valley

AAC funds will support the installation of seasonal latrines during the 2017 spring and fall climbing season at this world famous destination where human waste facilities do not currently exist. Efforts are underway for a permanent solution.

Upper Peninsula Climbers Coalition (UPCC), Michigan - $500
AAA Walls, Marquette County

The historic AAA walls have hosted 4-H groups, Boy Scouts, university students, and women’s groups for years and, the UPCC has arranged to keep it open with the current private landowner. AAC is helping ensure the stewardship of the area by funding trail maintenance and signage supplies.

Washington Climbers Coalition, Washington - $4,000
Washington Pass Legacy Trail Project, North Cascades

There are much needed climbing trail improvements from Blue Lake Trail to alpine climbs on Liberty Bell, Concord Tower, North Early Winter Spire, and South Early Winter Spire. Funds will be used for trail building supplies, signage, and wag bag dispensers as part of an extensive trail project to build sustainable, safe access to the Liberty Bell Group, one of the country’s most scenic and popular alpine climbing destinations.

Levitation 49, Alaska - $2,000
Valdez City Crags

Levitation 49 has been working tirelessly to promote and expand climbing, both winter and summer, in the Valdez area. The crags closest to the city are in need of major infrastructure work. AAC’s funds will help with the construction of stone stairs, retaining walls and drainage structures.

Ohio Climbers Coalition, Ohio - $5,000
Springfield Gorge

The Springfield Gorge is set to become the largest climbing area in the state but is in need of extensive rehabilitation. In lieu of requiring permits, the Ohio Climber Coalition has negotiated the construction of educational kiosks and signage with the land manager (Clark County Parks Department). The Cornerstone Grant will be used to help with purchase of those materials in addition to trail building costs.

South Central Pennsylvania Climbers, Pennsylvania - $500
Governor Stable Boulders, Governor Stable Nature Preserve

The SCPC is one of the newest organizations helping ensure access for their local climbers. AAC funds will help with costs associated with trail building and raising a bridge above the flood line at this important area.

Washington’s National Park Fund, Washington - $1,250
Mount Rainier NP Search and Rescue Cabin

Funds will be used to help in the restoration of a historic 1936 Civilian Conservation Corps cabin in the Longmire National Historic Landmark District in Mount Rainier National Park to house Search & Rescue volunteers and support staff. The cabin gives rescuers the opportunity for more timely responses to emergencies within the park and gives the NPS staff additional resources to utilize.

Rumney Climbers Association, New Hampshire - $4,000
The Final Frontier, Rumney

The Northwest Crags at Rumney are in need of additional parking, trail systems and a human waste solution at this nationally known climbing area. Facilities can also be used by local hikers, making the impact of this project even greater.

Climbing Stewards, California - $3,000
Camp 4, Yosemite

AAC funding will support the construction of a new, expanded climbing information kiosk at Camp 4, in Yosemite Valley. The current info board is outdated and will be replaced during a renovation and expansion of Camp 4. The new board will include increased conservation messaging and best practices, and additional information about climbing management in Yosemite National Park.

AAC Cornerstone Conservation Grant Selection Committee:

·       Eddie Espinosa, Committee Chair
·       Aram Attarian
·       Audrey Todd Borisov
·       Elisabeth Bowers
·       Jason Flesher
·       Matt Hepp
·       Joe Sambataro
·       Rebecca Schild
·       Maria Povec, Cornerstone Grant Coordinator, AAC Staff

AAC Speaks Up to Protect Southeastern Utah

Check out the below letter of support written by the American Alpine Club's CEO Phil Powers, Board President Matt Culberson, and Board Member/Policy Committee Member Peter Metcalf. 

AAC and the Alliance for Sustainable Energy Powering Alpine Research

Kristin Schild in her survival suit and field gear collecting samples out of a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway. She is studying the influence of a warming climate on ice discharge and its influence on physical and biological dynamics within the fjord. Photo: K. Lindbäck

The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, which manages the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden for the Department of Energy, has partnered with the American Alpine Club to provide AAC Research Grants. The Alliance will contribute $5,000 to future grants and provide technical support for their administration. These grants will support clean energy and other scientific endeavors in mountains and crags around the world. Grant winners provide vital knowledge about our climbing environments and enrich our understanding of environmental impacts.

The AAC Research Grant application opens on November 15 and closes on January 15. Learn more about the club’s grants program and how you can apply: https://americanalpineclub.org/research-grants

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August 29, 2016, Golden, CO—The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, which manages the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden for the Department of Energy, has partnered with the American Alpine Club to provide AAC Research Grants. The Alliance will contribute $5,000 to future grants and provide technical support for their administration. These grants will support clean energy and other scientific endeavors in mountains and crags around the world. Grant winners provide vital knowledge about our climbing environments and enrich our understanding of environmental impacts.

NREL’s work in clean energy aligns with AAC’s long history of supporting some of the most significant mountain explorations in the world, including the 1939 summit attempt on K2, the 1963 first American summit of Everest, and the 1966 summit of Antarctica's Mt. Vinson.

In addition to providing funding, the Alliance will support the club’s research grants by participating in the grant reviews.

“We’re lucky to have a laboratory in our backyard that is leading the country in developing clean energy technology,” says Policy and Advocacy Director Maria Millard. “It’s a natural fit for such a powerhouse to fuel our research grants.”

Previous AAC research grant winners have studied snow surfaces and the formation of snow bedforms in Antarctica and Colorado, providing useful information for alpine travelers and avalanche professionals. A recent "Live your Dream" climbing grant awardee just returned from a month in Nepal where a team from Goal Zero installed solar panels in remote mountain villages.  Another grant participant examined the impact of human and climate disturbance on alpine plants, information that can inform land management decisions and backcountry travel.

The AAC Research Grant application opens on November 15 and closes on January 15. Learn more about the club’s grants program and how you can apply: americanalpineclub.org/research-grants

Forest Service Eases Access for Groups

The next generation climbing on our public lands. Photo credit: AAC's Ron Funderburke

Our national forests provide awe and inspiration for millions of climbers. Their vertical playgrounds capture our spirit of adventure and challenge us to dig deep for our best selves. Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced that they will make it easier for outfitters, guides, schools and non-profits to take groups into our national forests. This announcement begins an important turning point in climbing access. Historically, individuals and organizations that teach climbing have faced challenges in obtaining permits from the USFS. They are often subject to significant fees, commercial use authorizations, and other requirements. The American Alpine Club has long been advocating for reforming the system.

The education and mentorship provided by guides, outdoor leaders and instructors are critical for the development of competent climbers who travel light on the land. We believe that individuals and organizations that teach climbing should have easy access to the land they need for classes. Doing so will lead to a greater appreciation for public lands and will help cultivate the next generation of stewards.  “We need to be active in meeting a changing population of climbers and other visitors to our National Forests. Good instruction gives people the skills for a lifetime of enjoyment they can pursue safely and with the knowledge to care for the land we all love,” says Phil Powers, AAC CEO.

The Forest Service states that its new, streamlined approach to special-use permitting will be implemented over time and will make it easier and faster to receive or renew permits. Steps being taken include:

• Increasing consistency in the permit process across the country.

• Increasing use of allowable waivers when a special use permit is not required.

• Investing in technology, including an electronic permit application process.

However, sufficient funding is critical to making it happen. Without the resources to implement these steps, land managers won’t have the capacity to process new permits. Budget cuts on top of the growing costs of fighting wildfire has come at the expense of the staff who administers permits. We still need Congress to pass a real budget fix. A fire funding solution will help ensure that the USFS will be able to welcome those who want to learn how to climb through instruction on public lands.  We take our responsibility for caring for these lands seriously and we applaud the Forest Service’s efforts. 

2016 D.C. Lobby Day

In February 2016, a group of board members, partners and AAC member Conrad Anker, climbed Capitol Hill to talk with policymakers and advocate for the places we climb. We found that there is a high regard among many of our elected officials and their staffs—as well as from agency representatives—about the AAC and its members. We focused on the following issues:

• Land Water Conservation Fund: A bipartisan effort to protect natural treasures and outdoor recreation. For more than 50 years, LWCF has protected  5 million acres of land and supported more than 41,000 state and local park projects. We want to ensure LWCF is permanently reauthorized and fully funded in the long-term.

• Centennial Act: An effort to address critical maintenance and improvement projects in our national parks as the National Park Service prepares to celebrate its centennial next year. We want to see a bipartisan bill that builds on recent funding increases and ensures our climbing landscapes remain healthy and supported for the next 100 years.

• Recreation Economic Contribution Act (Rec Act): A bill that would require the government to officially measure the impact of outdoor recreation on the U.S. economy. We believe that the Rec Act will raise the policy profile of the outdoor community and emphasize the importance of protecting public lands.

• Bears Ears: An effort to permanently protect valuable climbing areas in southeastern Utah (includes Indian Creek, Valley of the Gods and Lockhart Basin to name a few). Whether protection is done through a national monument designation or through legislation, we are working to ensure that rock climbing is acknowledged as an acceptable activity.

• Director’s Order 41: A National Park Service order that states that climbing is a legitimate activity in Wilderness, and that fixed anchors are necessary for climbing. We are working to ensure this precedent will also be adopted by other agencies including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

“Meeting with staffers, leaders and decision makers on the hill makes a difference. If we don’t, who will? I’ve seen time and again where the simple act of spending time talking about what you are passionate about makes a difference.”

— Paul Gagner, former AAC Board Member

A Shared Love for Southeast Utah

May 23rd, 2016: Climbers and tribal representatives gathered together to discuss the future management of southeast Utah. Photocredit: EcoFlight 

The climbing in southeast Utah is some of the best in the country, beckoning rock climbers from around the world. It tests our physical and mental boundaries and provides adventure, fulfillment and personal growth. The Bears Ears area of southeast Utah is particularly important. It’s a 1.9-million-acre region north of the San Juan River and east of the Colorado River that includes Native American archeological and cultural sites and exceptional climbing such as Indian Creek, Lockhart Basin, Arch Canyon, Comb Ridge, and Valley of the Gods.

Climbers aren’t the only ones with a profound love of southeast Utah. Its sacredness runs deep. Home to more than 100,000 cultural and archaeological sites, the Bears Ears area is the most significant unprotected archeological area in the country. Tribal leaders and medicine people continue to conduct ceremonies, collect herbs for medicinal purposes, and practice healing rituals there. In a recent meeting with representatives from the Bears-Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, the AAC and Access Fund had the opportunity to connect with them over our shared love and respect for the land.

These treasures—climbing areas and spiritual sites—may be at risk. With two land management proposals on the table, the stakes are complicated. Congressmen Bishop and Chaffetz’s Public Lands Initiative (PLI) could—among other things—open the land to resource extraction. Not good for the tribes or for climbers. Here’s where it gets tricky: if instead, the Bears Ears area becomes a national monument, cultural resources will be protected, but it’s possible that there could be new restrictions on recreational uses. We’re working with the Access Fund and the Inter-Tribal Coalition to keep climbing open in the Bears Ears region while ensuring much-needed protections for cultural resources. 

Partnering with local Native American tribes is critical in protecting the breathtaking beauty of the Bears Ears area and ensuring that we can continue to enjoy its world-class climbing. On May 23rd, AAC and Access Fund joined with representative from the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to discuss the proposed monument and do a fly-over with EcoFlight. We spoke about how respectful climbing practices are compatible with natural and cultural resource protection and shared information about the ways in which climbers serve as stewards of public lands. Tribal representatives explained their grave concerns about resource extraction, the proposed PLI and emphasized the lands’ sacredness. We shared our report on a joint AAC/Access Fund letter writing campaign to President Obama which captures how much climbers value southeast Utah. They were impressed and encouraged to hear that 1,135 climbers wrote in response to our call to action.

It is clear that climbers and the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition share similar feelings about this area: both groups have reverence for the land and want it to be protected. We don’t support resource extraction in places with such extraordinary cultural and recreation value as Bears Ears. As policy decisions unfold, the AAC and Access Fund will continue to do everything we can to ensure that land management policies protect Native American cultural and archaeological sites while recognizing climbing as an appropriate activity in southeast Utah. 

Climbers Speak up to Protect Climbing in Southeast Utah

Can you imagine the splitter cracks of Indian Creek, the stunning towers of Valley of the Gods, and the sandstone sculptures of Arch Canyon surrounded by oil rigs or off limits to climbers?

Right now, two initiatives are under consideration that may impact access to Indian Creek, Castle Valley, Fischer Towers, San Rafael Swell, Valley of the Gods, Comb Ridge, and countless remote climbing objectives both known and yet to be discovered.

1. The Public Lands Initiative (PLI) outlines an extensive plan to manage state and federal lands in southeastern Utah. It threatens designated Wilderness, supports the transfer of federal land to the state, and for the majority of the lands in question it prioritizes resource extraction over both recreation and conservation.

2. Unhappy with the PLI, an Inter-Tribal Coalition proposed the Bears Ears National Monument to the Obama administration, with a focus on preserving Native American traditional values. If the President proclaims Bears Ears National Monument, the climbing community needs to ensure that the proclamation acknowledges and protects the world-class climbing in the area along with the other important values in the Bears Ears region.

Together, the American Alpine Club and Access Fund rallied climbers everywhere to protect this area. Climbers shared their experiences in southeastern Utah so that as these initiatives are considered, it is clear that outdoor recreation is important and needs to be protected.

We received 1,135 thoughtful letters about the importance of protecting climbing southeast Utah. Eight AAC and AF staff read every single letter. We are thrilled with what came over the wire. Our team put together a report based on your letters that we shared with policymakers and partners in Washington, DC. The response we got in DC proves again that your voice matters and makes a difference.

Sustainable Summits Conference 2016

“We must continue to persevere, to protect, and restore public lands, provide stewardship of the places that inspire us and guarantee responsible access to public lands and water.”

— Peter Metcalf, CEO/President of Black Diamond Equipment

What does the Sustainable Summits Conference address?

• Practical solutions to sustaining our mountain environments

• Features talks, workshops, panel discussions, poster presentations, field trips and social events

• Outstanding international presenters from Alaska, Austria, France, Nepal and New Zealand

• Optional final day field trip exploring the Hooker Valley or glacier skiing in Aoraki/Mount Cook National park.

The 2016 conference follows two successful conferences in the USA in 2010 and 2014, organized and hosted by the New Zealand Alpine Club. The NZ conference is celebrating 125 years of NZ mountaineering in association with the New Zealand Department of Conservation and with the support of Ngāi Tahu, the Māori people of the southern islands of New Zealand.

For More Information Visit: 

• www.sustainable-summits.com

• https://www.facebook.com/SustainableSummits/timeline

Register for email updates Enquiries: [email protected]

The Value of Public Lands - A climber's perspective

 Andrew Forkes-Gudmundson

AAC Conservation and Advocacy Team

As climbers, we have a unique connection to public lands. According to research by Access Fund, more than 70% of climbing in the west happens on publicly owned lands. Can you imagine if the splitter cracks in Indian Creek, the bloodthirsty off-widths of Vedauwoo, or the bold, big walls of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison were suddenly off limits to climbers?

As you read this, all these climbing resources and many more across the west are in danger. Members of Congress, state legislators, and various presidential candidates are promising to transfer these public lands to state governments, sometimes with the express purposes of selling them off. Even worse, last year it went beyond promises: the United States Senate passed a budget amendment that would pave the way for large scale transfers to the states. [1]

What does it mean to transfer public lands to states?

By their very nature, federal lands are owned by the public. We all have a right to be on them and to have a say in how they are managed. The transfer of public lands from the federal government to state governments is being promoted as a way to make land management more local. This narrative is fundamentally incorrect, for a very important reason. Federal lands are held in trust for all the people of America, while state lands are merely a source of revenue for the state that owns them. State lands can be sold by the state to anyone, largely without citizen input. Transferring public lands to the states would actually reduce the amount of say the public has in management of the land. [2] 

People fear the specter of distant bureaucrats controlling the lands in their backyard. The reality is that management of federally owned lands is incredibly decentralized. More than 80% of federal land management staff for the Department of the Interior are already based in local places out west. The AAC works diligently to provide both national policy makers and regional land managers with public input, bringing the voices of climbers to the management discussion.

At the AAC, we believe that public lands, including all the climbing resources located on them, belong to us all, and we are part of a coalition of nonprofits and outdoor businesses who believe the same.[3] Together, we are tracking state legislation and speaking up when damaging public lands bills are introduced.

In the last 18 months, nearly 50 bills in 11 Western states have been introduced in state legislatures demanding transfer or sell off.

We need you to help stop this from happening.

Until people who love to recreate outdoors speak out, policymakers will continue to entertain bills that give away our lands. Our public lands need defending. If you believe that public lands belong to everyone, not a few private interests, please let your legislators know. Sign the petition now. This petition is the first and most important step, and will keep you updated with what is happening in your state. So far, we have 15,000 signatures. Let’s get 15,000 more.

Sources

[1] http://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2016/2/24/house-bills-threaten-to-sell-off-national-forests

[2] http://www.protectourpublicland.org/news-collection/2015/7/28/7-differences-between-state-lands-and-public-lands

[3] http://www.protectourpublicland.org/#supporters-sectio