The Access Fund announced that it has awarded over $23,500 in this first round of the 2013 Climbing Preservation Grants Program. Each year, the Access Fund awards up to $40,000 in grant money to local climbing communities with worthy projects that preserve or enhance climbing access.
Access Fund members got the opportunity to review qualifying grant projects and rate them, providing input to the grant selection committee as to which projects they want their contributions to support. The latest round of grant recipients include:
Gunks Climbers Coalition – Gym to Crag Transition Program
The Gunks Climbers Coalition (GCC) was awarded a grant for a program that will help new climbers make the transition to responsible outdoor climbing. The rock climbing and bouldering areas around New Paltz, New York see increasing traffic and climber impacts every year as first-time climbers from gyms in the New York metro area go there to climb outside for the first time. Many of these climbers are not yet familiar with established outdoor ethics or how to reduce and minimize their impact. GCC’s educational program will include videos, presentations, flyers, and incentives for active participation to help address this problem and provide a model for climbing communities around the country. The goal is to get to the root of this problem by educating climbers about best climbing and bouldering practices before they go outside for their first time.
Jenny Lake Rangers – Grand Tetons Human Waste Management
Jenny Lake Rangers of Grand Teton National Park was awarded a grant to help manage human waste in this world-class alpine climbing destination. In 2001, Restop bags were introduced to overnight campers as a voluntary alternative to the fly-out bucket system of human waste management on the Lower Saddle. In 2002, the buckets were removed and human waste pack-out became mandatory for all visitors on the Saddle, with bags provided free of charge and stocked by volunteers and rangers. This grant request seeks funding to cover the cost of the Restop bags. Compliance has continued at nearly 100% since 2003, which affirms the climbing community’s environmental commitment.
Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition – Red River Gorge Acquisition
The Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition (RRGCC) was awarded a grant to help acquire 309 acres of undeveloped cliff line in the southern region of the Red River Gorge. The land includes over 18 individual cliffs and more than 250 potential new routes. This conservation project secured this climbing resource before it was threatened by closure, as well as increased the amount of available climbing in the region to help alleviate overcrowding on other privately owned nature preserves.
San Juan Mountains Association – Weminuche Wilderness Restop Program
San Juan Mountains Association and their partners at San Juan National Forest were awarded a grant to purchase Restop bags to distribute at the Needle Creek Trailhead in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado. The trailhead is the gateway to three fourteeners and a handful of technical climbs. Volunteer Wilderness Information Specialists distribute the Restop bags and educate visitors about the importance of packing out human waste in order to protect this high-use alpine area. In addition, the program provides additional information and seeks feedback through comment cards to ensure the program’s long term effectiveness.
Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC) – Southern Cumberland Appraisal
Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC) was awarded a grant for the appraisal of a future land acquisition project. They are working with Conservation Fund and Land Trust for Tennessee (LTTN) to conserve a 670 acre cove in the Fiery Gizzard area of Tennessee’s Southern Cumberland region that hosts an extensive sandstone cliff line. Completion of this project would effectively protect 200 high quality routes at a range of grades, and preserve one of the largest climbing areas in the Deep South. The first step in acquiring the property is an appraisal, which SCC and LTTN share this cost 50/50. The Access Fund grant would go towards SCC’s portion.
Wilderness Land Trust – Castle Crags Acquisition
The Wilderness Land Trust was awarded a grant to acquire 1,250 acres in the northern reaches of Castle Crags Wilderness near Mt. Shasta, California. The acquisition will provide public access to moderate multi-pitch granite, winter ice climbing, and backcountry skiing. The acquisition will also protect rare wildlife and plant habitat, cultural resources, and the Sacramento River and Delta watershed, which provides clean water for citizens of California. Climber support of this project contributes to a collaborative effort to protect the Klamath-Siskiyou Region and the Castle Crags Wilderness. Acquisition of these parcels are a high priority, since this is a time-sensitive opportunity to prevent future logging and provide improved public access.
