Access Fund Awards $43,000 in Climbing Preservation Grants to Support Climber Activism, Land Acquisition, Conservation and Education
March 9, 2005, Boulder, CO. The Access Fund has awarded $43,000 in its first round of grant funding for 2005. Awarded three times annually, Climbing Preservation Grants provide financial assistance for local climber activism and protection of the climbing environment. The grants will be distributed for trail improvements, land acquisition, education and assistance for a newly formed local climber organization.
“The Access Fund is committed to preserving the climbing experience for present and future generations,” said Shawn Tierney, Access and Acquisitions Director. “We’re proud to fund these important initiatives on behalf of our members and the entire climbing community.”
The following grants were awarded:
Jamestown, Alabama
The Southeastern Climbers Coalition was awarded a grant to help pay for the purchase of the Jamestown climbing area. The crag, which was on land privately owned, has been closed since the early 1990s. Many of the best climbing areas in Alabama are closed due to private landowner issues.
Sam’s Throne, Arkansas
A grant was awarded to the Forest Service for the purchase and installation of a CXT vault toilet at Sam’s Throne. The Forest Service is in the process of upgrading the area to include a primitive campground and additional day use parking area with informational kiosk.
French’s Dome, Oregon
The Forest Service was awarded a grant to help pay for a slope stabilization and belay platform construction project at a popular climbing destination near Mt. Hood. Heavy use at this site has resulted in erosion and vegetation loss at the base of the rock and outlying areas. The project will involve the construction of rock retaining walls, a trail on the northeast side of the formation that will direct use, and revegetation in areas that are no longer in the travel zone.
Friends of East Mountain, Massachusetts
The Friends of East Mountain received a grant for a trail kiosk and site map for climbing areas and trails at Great Barrington.
Rocky Mountain Field Institute, Colorado
The Rocky Mountain Field Institute was awarded a grant for the Crestone Needle Restoration Project. The goal of the project is to preserve Crestone Needle (14,197’) by constructing a sustainable summit route, and restoring badly damaged and heavily eroded areas along the route’s perimeter.
Rodeo Wall, Wyoming
The Forest Service received a grant for trail maintenance and base area improvements at this popular climbing area in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson. The improvements will mitigate erosion problems and unintentional expansion of the trail.
Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council, Nevada
A start-up and organizational grant was awarded to the Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council. LVCLC is dedicated to ensuring climbing access, encouraging stewardship of the environment, and cultivating a sense of community in a world-class climbing destination. Red Rock Canyon faces ever more threatening issues from encroaching development, increased land use, and challenges to access through issues imposed by the federal government.
Blackline Buttress, Montana
A grant was awarded to the Forest Service for the Blackline Buttress trail rehabilitation and construction project. The targeted trail is 1.5-2 miles long, with roughly 800 feet of elevation gain. The trail needs drainage work, downhill retaining walls, and retreading. The grant will be used for materials, an informational bulletin board, and trail marker signs.
Blackleaf Canyon, Montana
The Teton River Watershed Group was awarded a grant for educational outreach for the Blackleaf Canyon climbing area. Working with the Forest Service, the climbing community is interested in proactively addressing emerging issues at this increasingly popular area. Parking, human waste, grizzly bear food order regulations, and access trails have been identified as key areas of concern.
Dome and Elephant Buttress, Colorado
A grant was awarded a grant to the Silver Lake Ditch Co. for restoration work at the Dome and Elephant Buttresses. Work will focus on ditch restoration and mitigating erosion caused by foot traffic at this heavily used site near Boulder.
The Access Fund is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment. Preserving the opportunity to climb and the diversity of the climbing experience are fundamental to the mission of the Access Fund. The organization works in cooperation with climbers, other recreational users, public land managers and private landowners to promote the responsible use and sound management of climbing resources throughout the United States. The Access Fund encourages an ethic of personal responsibility, self-regulation, strong conservation values and minimum impact practices among climbers. For more information, visit www.accessfund.org.