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Nesting Raptors


gapertimmy

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Stolen from Access Fund Site, but good info:

 

General Climbing Restrictions

North Carolina Climbing-Site Closures for Peregrine Falcons

Climbers and Raptors: How climbing restrictions are set up and managed

 

The climbing areas listed below have had seasonal restrictions in the past. Most of these are to protect cliff-nesting raptors during the Spring period. Where possible the latest information is given, but always check signs on site; birds shift nest sites, restrictions may be lifted early or removed entirely. If you need more information before visiting these areas check the website listed or call the land management agency contact.

 

This page will be updated on a regular basis between January and August each year. If you have any comments or more recent information than is listed here, please call us Tel: 303/545-6772, or email: shawn@accessfund.org.

 

We welcome your feedback so that the Access Fund can work with land managers to produce the most practical arrangements.

 

Updated March 2003

 

California

 

Yosemite National Park

3 Restrictions in effect on cliffs including Lower Cathedral, Rhombus Wall, Glacier Point & Hetch Hetchy. Note: not Half Dome or El Cap from Feb. 1st - August 1st. Contact: Steve Thompson - Wildlife Biologist Tel: 209/379-3261.

Pinnacles National Monument

Restrictions include Central High Peaks, Balconies, The Little Pinnacles (Yaks Wall Area), The Scout Peak area, Goat Rock & Resurrection Wall and are in affect from Feb. 1 - June 30. Contact: Amy Fesnock, Wildlife Biologist, National Monument Information Center Tel: 831/389-4485 x 223 or check Friends of Pinnacles Web site www.pinnacles.org/climbing/index.html. Note: The Access Fund provided $3000 grant funding to the NPS to help a budget shortfall for raptor monitoring at climbing areas for 2001.

Cleveland National Forest

Restriction on the main wall of Corte Madera from Feb. 1st - June 31st. Contact: Kirstin Winter, District Wildlife Biologist Tel: 619/673-6180. Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake District, Chimney Rock Area Closure

Crystal Wall north to Sasquatch Spire including the Monk, Moccasin Ridge and Chimney Rock from 300' east of the ridge to the Forest Service boundary. This closure complements a closure on National Park system lands for the same geologic features west of the Forest Service boundary. Closure is in effect from the date of signature until Forest Service or NPS biologists confirm that young falcons have fledged and dispersed (generally August 1), the nest is abandoned or there is reason to believe that public presence will not adversely affect the nesting falcons. Contact: Mary Allison, Hume Lake Ranger District 559/338-2251. Eldorado National Forest

Lover's Leap - Restriction from March 1- June 30. Contact: Debbie Gaynor - Placerville Ranger Station Tel: 530/644-2324.

 

Idaho

City of Rocks

West face of Window Rock, West face of Nematode Restrictions in effect from April 15 - June 15. Contact: City of Rocks National Reserve, Climbing Ranger - Brad Shilling Tel: 208/824-5563.

Black Cliffs (near Boise)

 

Nixon Head and Wailing Wall. Restrictions in effect from Feb 1 - June 30. Contact: Bruce Haak, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Tel: 208/465-8465.

 

Oregon

Smith Rock State Park

The Monument - 1 restriction from February 15th- August 1st Contact: Jay Schleier, Wildlife Biologist Tel: 503/378-5020 x 308. Umpqua - Umpqua National Forest

Eagle Rock/Rattlesnake Rocks - 1 restriction from Jan 1st - July 31st. Contact - Diamond Lake Ranger District, Umpqua National Forest Tel: 541/498-2531.

Acker Rock - 1 restriction from Jan 1st - July 31st, or until fledged). Contact - Tiller Ranger District, Umpqua National Forest Tel: 541/825-3201.

Limpy Rock - 1 restriction from Jan 1st- July 31st. Contact - North Umpqua Ranger District, Umpqua National Forest Tel: 541/496-3532.

Umpqua

Jurassic Park - 1 restriction from Jan 1st - July 31st, or until fledged. Seneca Jones Land. Contact: Dave Peterson, Fish and Wildlife Service Tel: 541/957-3471.

The Honeycombs - 1 restriction Jan 1st - July 31st. Seneca Jones Land. Roseburg area

Zen Spot - Lucy Ridge formation. 1 restriction - Jan 1st- July 31st. Contact - Weyerhaeuser Tel: 541/672-9622. Rogue River National Forest

Rabbit Ears - 1 restriction from Jan 1st - July 31st, or until fledged. Prospect Ranger District Contact: Jim Good, District Wildlife Biologist Tel: 541/560-3400.

Rogue Valley

Rattlesnake - 1 restriction on Mushroom Towers from Jan 1st - July 31st. Located on BLM (Tel: Medford 541/440-4930) and Boise Cascade (Tel: 541/776-6684) land.

 

Utah

Zion: Cliff closures are effective February 1. After nests are located (by May 15), only those areas harboring nests will remain closed. An attempt will be made to open routes in proximity to nesting areas, as long as the safety and nesting success of the peregrines is not jeopardized. This may possibly mean that some routes on a cliff face supporting a nest may be opened. As nest sites are located, photos will be distributed of the redefined closed areas. These areas will remain closed until the young fledge (usually in July) or the nest fails. It is typical for areas not selected for nesting to reopen sometime in April.

 

An attempt has been made to list some of the routes that are closed. This list is by no means comprehensive, as not all routes are mapped, and some known routes are difficult to locate exactly. The following areas have had closures in the past:

 

The Great White Throne

Cathedral Mountain

Cable Mountain

Mt. Kinesava (southwest face only)

The Streaked Wall (entirely closed)

North Twin Brother (all routes closed)

Middle Fork of Taylor Creek (Kolob Canyons)

Contact: Jill Sheesley 435/772-7611 or www.nps.gov/zion for the latest information.

Canyonlands National Park

 

Restriction in effect on Airport Tower. from Feb. 1 - June 30. Contact: Island in the Sky Visitor Center, NPS Tel: 435/259-4351 Snow Canyon State Park

OK, they're not exactly raptors, but just so you know. Johnson's canyon is closed seasonally from March 1 to Nov.15 to protect the Mojave Desert Tortoise, Chuckwallas and Gila Monsters. Please respect this closure. Contact: Kristen Comella, Park Naturalist Tel: 435/628-2255.

 

Washington

Midnight and Noontime Rocks and Vicinity: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Fores Closed to entry April 1 to July 31 to Protect Nesting Raptors. Raptors have been observed on and between Midnight and Noontime Rocks. During the nesting period, the site will be monitored and if conditions warrant, some restrictions may be lifted. Contact: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth Ranger Districts 509/548-6977.

 

Beacon Rock State Park Restriction affects the south face of Beacon Rock and is in effect from Feb. 1 - July 15. Contact: Ranger - State Park Manager Tel: 509.427.8265.

 

Tieton River - Oakcreek Wildlife Recreation Area. Royal Columns & Tim Pond Wall. Restriction runs from Feb. 1 through July 31. Contact: John Mcgowan - Area Manager Tel: 509.653.2390.

 

 

 

Note: Voluntary restriction in respect of Native American culture - June restriction.

Climbers are requested by the Access Fund and the NPS to respect a voluntary restriction on climbing in June each year. This is in respect of American Indian beliefs. The month of June is a significant time for religious belief based around the solstice. The voluntary restriction has been in place since 1995.

 

 

 

 

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If peregrine falcons (amazing birds) have no problem nesting and hatching on the WAMU building downtown, I doubt massive cliff closures are necessary. rolleyes.gif

 

That being said, thanks for the update timmy. bigdrink.gif

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gapertimmy said:

Stolen from Access Fund Site, but good info:

 

blah blah blah...

 

Note: Voluntary restriction in respect of Native American culture - June restriction.

Climbers are requested by the Access Fund and the NPS to respect a voluntary restriction on climbing in June each year. This is in respect of American Indian beliefs. The month of June is a significant time for religious belief based around the solstice. The voluntary restriction has been in place since 1995.

 

wazzup.gifwazzup.gifconfused.gif

 

Does this mean ALL TYPES of climbing, or just rock climbing? Does it mean just Washington (as it was listed under WA closures), or just tribal lands (which we shouldn't be on anyway), or just National Parks? Anyone else ever hear of this? I'm aware of seasonal closures at Painted Rocks (in Yakima) and Devil's Tower, WY. Further elaboration/clarification appreciated.

 

...sobo

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Yos said:

If peregrine falcons (amazing birds) have no problem nesting and hatching on the WAMU building downtown, I doubt massive cliff closures are necessary. rolleyes.gif

 

That being said, thanks for the update timmy. bigdrink.gif

 

The thing is - no one is climbing up the side of the Mutual Tower to disturb the birds. Generally it's a short closure season and there's lots of other places to climb.

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sobo said:

gapertimmy said:

Stolen from Access Fund Site, but good info:

 

blah blah blah...

 

Note: Voluntary restriction in respect of Native American culture - June restriction.

Climbers are requested by the Access Fund and the NPS to respect a voluntary restriction on climbing in June each year. This is in respect of American Indian beliefs. The month of June is a significant time for religious belief based around the solstice. The voluntary restriction has been in place since 1995.

 

wazzup.gifwazzup.gifconfused.gif

 

Does this mean ALL TYPES of climbing, or just rock climbing? Does it mean just Washington (as it was listed under WA closures), or just tribal lands (which we shouldn't be on anyway), or just National Parks? Anyone else ever hear of this? I'm aware of seasonal closures at Painted Rocks (in Yakima) and Devil's Tower, WY. Further elaboration/clarification appreciated.

 

...sobo

 

No. Go to the Access Fund site. This is for Devil's Tower.

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Thanks, Jim. I thought that it was Devil's Tower, but the voluntary closure segment's placement at the end of the whole article could lead one to conclude otherwise, being listed after Washington State closure areas and no mention of what tribe was asking for the voluntary closure... The Yakamas are a PITA to deal with one it comes to climbing around here.

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This subject came up at rope up. A wildlife biologist spoke on closures and I was dismayed to hear that climbers are likely to be displaced even if and when raptors are fully recovered and off the threatened list. Sounds like "charismatic megafauna" management to me. I think that wildlife management should be governed by both science and statute, but not by emotions. Comments?

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Catbird, there is one crag (two named rocks, actually) in all of Leavenworth that is closed for a few months each year. They said this is one of two eeries in the entire Leavenworth Ranger District, and they want to protect them because they are special. I don't think it is a big problem for us to comply with this very unrestrictive closure. I realize that raptor closures are more extensive in some other climbing areas, and I know that part of what John Harlin kept saying is true -- that there have in the past been "experts" who say that climbers do not deter nesting activity (or at least not always so) and there may be unclear scientific support for raptor closures -- but what's the big deal about cooperating with this minimal closure?

 

I was very encouraged to talk to two rangers from the Leavenworth Ranger Station who seemed to be quite aware of the issues and who generally appeared to be supportive of climbing in the district and mostly quite reasonable in their views on things like trails, rare plants, birds, bolting ...

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Why should I care if those two crags are closed. I'm not a good enough climber to do any of the routes on them anyway. It seems strange though that the raptors pick only climbing crags. I think that there are many more of these birds than anyone is aware of. Don't get me wrong, I think everyone should respect the raptor bans, I just think that there will come a time that they will not be necessary. Let's hope so both for the birds and the climbers.

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