Moolack news from today 6/4/13

[JoeR]

Guillotine has a small bird nest with chicks in it. Please do not climb it until August.

 

Thank you for respecting this voluntary closure.

 

 

:Edit Please stay off of Pool Guy as well.

[luvshaker]

Chicks at Moolack? It is usually a meat market.

 

Hmmmmmmm.

 

Thanks for the report.

 

You may be implying this already, but climbers need to stay more then one route away from the birdies. (you are talking Para-Grins yes?) Just to throw out a number here, a distance of over 200yds away, maybe more, should give them enough space. Climb closer if you enjoy talons coming strait at you at 100mph, and off course risking mommy abandoning her little chirpers.

Edited June 7, 2013 by luvshaker

[JoeR]

Small birdies and nest. Between seeing the chicks, nest, and parents we know it's not falcons. I'm no ornithologist so I won't venture a guess as to species, but I definitely see a lot of this bird around.

 

 

[Alasdair]

If its a small bird then they will likely be gone within the month. Most smaller birds will fledge from the nest within 2 weeks. Chances are they will be gone next week. Closed till august is probably a little extreme. Go with July and you will be fine.

 

[KirkW]

While skiing the South Sister on Tuesday we saw a bird. It probably had a nest nearby.

 

So naturally, I've instituted a voluntary climbing closure until October. Thanks for your cooperation.

[JoeR]

Good to know Alasdair.

 

 

[g orton]

August?? My understanding is that this would be over kill even if you were referring to Peregrine. T.J. Cade P.H.D. et al. [1996. Guide to management of peregrine falcons at the aerie. The Peregrine Fund.] Suggest lifting closures two weeks after the young have fledged. Locally this would typically lift closures anywhere from June 1-15 (lower elevations) to July 1-15 (higher elevations).

 

One responder mentioned the need for a 200 ft closure, (I think in response to peregrine management). Pyke, Kathryn M.S. 1997. [Raptors & climbers, guidance for managing technical climbing to protect nest sites. Access Fund] lists 'physical features as visual barriers' (ie topography and vegetation), physical features as sound barriers (ie ridges or cliff faces of different aspects), vertical height (birds appear less tolerant to disturbances at or above the nest level), viewshed (area visible from the nest site), Pattern of climbing use (considering all of the above with desired access), prior disturbance history and tolerance (what are the observed correlations between climbing access and nesting success?). These guidelines have been used successfully to manage peregrine and climbers in Yosemite, Smith, Eldorado, Devil's Towers, and other's.

 

Significant 'outliers' from this rational approach to management currently are Summit Rock, Ca and the Menagerie, OR. Last year the State and Access Fund established an agreement for managing Summit Rock using the guidelines above. However, talks between climbers and the Forest Service at the Menagerie have stalled, and the Menagerie now maintains the most arbitrary and restrictive Peregrine closure anywhere.

 

Why? In my mind, there appears to be a lack of professional accountability, and a cultural entrenchment among Forest Service biologists.

Edited June 11, 2013 by g orton

[JoeR]

Ok,

 

So it seems people feel pretty strongly on this. I hope this post helps some of you to relax.

 

This is a posting of a voluntary closure of two routes at an obscure crag.

 

The closure reflects the ethic of environmental stewardship at this crag and is more of a "Hey guys, some birds are trying to raise a family, so please be aware and leave them be" than some hardass official closure. I agreed with my partner's view on this closure and so posted it up at his request to spread the word.

 

By all means, if anyone makes it out to Moolack earlier or more often than I do, and can check on the nest without disturbing these birds then please do so. I'll be up there again next week at the latest. If the information that Greg and Alastair have posted up is correct, then I'll be posting up that Pool Guy and Guillotine are back open.

 

And really, this is just one of the ways that climber self-management can look. It's just not too hard to close 2 routes at a place with so many.

 

Wildlife is cool.

 

 

[Alasdair]

Agreed JoeR. Thanks for the effort. What you did was the right thing to do. Unfortunately there are some climbers who feel the need to bitch anytime any crag is closed because they they are so unadventurous they cant fathom going to a different climbing area for a little while.