Cochise Stronghold anchors threatened

[Otto]

Climbing access at Cochise Stronghold is threatened. If you love Cochise, your help is needed. I received the following from the local activist group Southern Arizona Climber's Coalition:

 

 

Keep Climbing in the Stronghold!

 

Wanted to keep you aware of the development of the Forest Service Plan.

The Southern Arizona Climbers Coalition has been working hard since the Forest Service Workshop. They have done days of research trying to find out what Wilderness designation will mean to climbing in the Stronghold. Below is their latest call to action!

 

The Forest Service changed their recommendation from Wild Backcountry to Wilderness based on 300 letters they received from Wilderness Society Members. WE ARE THE USERS OF THE LAND! We need to write letters ASAP to show how much we want the land to be Wild Backcountry.

 

The Access Fund is sending out an electronic alert this week. You can use that link via SACC or write your own. The important thing is to write Jim Upchurch, Coronado Forest Supervisor, and tell him that you want to preserve the future of climbing with Wild Backcountry designation.

 

"Hi Membership,

In order to maintain the number of fixed gear and routes in the Stronghold with the use of power drills, the only practical maintenance method, we believe that a Wilderness designation in the Stronghold is not in the best interest of climbers in Southern Arizona. The current style of climbing in the Dragoons does not fit well under a wilderness designation. Current wilderness management strategies are problematic with bolt protected face climbs, of which there are many in the Dragoons. We are going to advocate for climbers to continue climbing unhindered by the restrictions that a wilderness designation imposes, while still trying to maintain avenues to support the environment.

 

This direction is in response to new information, initial response from the membership, and recent insights from the Access Fund. Due to the delicate and complicated nature of this issue, we have wanted to ensure that we explored all avenues that would allow the continuation of climbing in the Stronghold. The Access Fund has stated that, in this instance, a wilderness designation is NOT in the best interest of climbers and we have aligned ourselves with that direction.

We believe then, in this instance, supporting the proposed wild backcountry land use zone (draft plan) is in the best interest of the current public use patterns, while affording protections for the natural environment of the area. This goal, in alliance with the Access Fund, will be our current direction. The Access Fund has given us complete support on this issue, and will be launching an Action Alert to ask the climbing community to help support this decision through a letter writing campaign.

 

Fundamentally, we are not anti-wilderness, but in this instance, we are against wilderness management in an area that does not suit wilderness. Our largest concern is the number of fixed gear that will have to be replaced in 20-25 years, an impractical feat if done using wilderness restrictions.

 

We have compiled several examples of how wilderness designations will significantly reduce current recreation use patterns, actively remove routes, and restrict climber access.

An article by Alpinist on 6/10/2010 stated that “[The National Park Service plan for Christmas Tree Pass] would be the first to not only ban, but also require the removal of fixed anchors.” –Read the article here.

 

A notice by the National Park Service on 01/21/2014 “Regarding rock climbing management for alternatives B and C in the Draft Wilderness Management Plan/EIS [in Lake Mead National Recreation Area]... In Bridge Canyon Wilderness no new fixed anchors or fixed equipment would be permitted, with the exception of permitted replacement anchors.” –Read the notice here.

 

The Access Fund response to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area states that “it will also unnecessarily impose severe restrictions on the longtime activity of rock climbing… Proposing to reduce the number of climbing routes based on an inappropriate definition of the term ‘bolt-intensive’ and the misconception that ‘bolt-intensive’ climbing routes fundamentally attract high levels of visitation is inarguably antithetical to anecdotal evidence (from local climbers and Lake Mead NRA staff) as well as several well-respected, NPS funded study findings.” –Read the response here.

 

The Mt. Charleston Wilderness Management Plan stated in January of 2013 that “In the Proposed Action, new fixed anchor routes would be prohibited by both the FS and the BLM and the replacement of permanent fixed anchors on existing routes would be evaluated for their appropriateness in Wilderness through a special use permit process.”…” Current recreational activities that involve rock climbing would continue in Mt. Charleston Wilderness; however, there is not expected to be an increase in future “sport climbing” activities, which would be curbed due to the prohibition on new “fixed anchor routes.”” –Read the Plan here.

 

There is a precedent of a misinterpretation of federal regulation in wilderness areas. Here is part of an Access Fund response to the North Cascades National Park fixed anchor (bolt) moratorium “The Access Fund is concerned that the North Cascades National Park fixed anchor (bolt) moratorium is incongruous with national policy, based on misinterpretation of federal regulation, unnecessarily compromises wilderness climber safety, and negatively affects wilderness use-patterns. We believe that some level of fixed anchor (bolt) use must be allowed wherever climbing is allowed, and that the appropriate level of use should be established on an area-by-area basis.” Read the response here.

 

If the Stronghold is to become wilderness, there will be significant change to climbing in that area, including the restriction of power drills, the decay of routes that cannot be maintained by hand drills, and the potential of a permit system and route removal by the FS. We believe that wild back country is the best fitted land use zone for the Dragoons to protect current climbing freedoms, the ability to maintain routes with power drills, and support the wilderness spirit of the area, without significantly changing current public recreation patterns.

Shannon

--

Shannon Maitland

Board Member, Conservation Chair

Southern Arizona Climber's Coalition

480-495-0064 mashmaitland@gmail.com

 

[Otto]

Here's a note from NW climber Julie Brugger clarifying the issue. Read the Access Fund link and get involved:

 

Hello climbing friends,

The Access Fund created an Action Alert regarding the potential designation of the Cochise Stronghold as Wilderness. I am forwarding that to you in hopes that you will read and consider it.

 

Access Fund link

 

The local story behind this is that Southern Arizona Climbers Coalition members and climbers responding to an earlier Access Fund alert wrote 100-some letters in support of the Forest Service's preferred action in the draft Coronado National Forest Plan to make the Stronghold a wild backcountry land use zone. SACC members also appeared at the public hearing for the plan held in May to advocate the preferred action. Meanwhile, the Wilderness Society asked their members to write letters advocating Wilderness status for the Stronghold. The FS received over 600 letters from Wilderness Society members and decided to change the final plan to Wilderness status for the Stronghold, without having an additional public comment period. Now we need climbers to send enough letters to try to outnumber the Wilderness Society. It is likely that most of the WS members who wrote letters have never been to the Stronghold and wrote based on a belief that more wilderness is always a good thing. In the case of the Stronghold, there is practically no threat to the area from off-road activities because the terrain is too rugged. There are few other backcountry users besides climbers. But wilderness designation would greatly impact climbing activities by restricting new route development and the maintenance of old routes.

Please consider writing a letter for the Access Fund campaign so we can out-number the Wilderness Society. Please forward this email to other climbers you know. And come on down and climb with me in the Stronghold!

Thanks,

Julie