access fund climbing and resource management publications

Bouldering: Understanding and Managing Climbing on Small Rock Formations

The Access Fund - April 2004. This document is intended to provide a knowledge base for managing bouldering as a unique form of outdoor recreation, and contains an overview of bouldering, participant demographics, impacts caused by bouldering and management considerations.

Download a pdf version here (101K)

Access Fund Castles/City of Rocks Information Guide

To help facilitate the use and opening of the Castles State Park--adjacent to City of Rocks National Reserve--the Access Fund produced this information guide. The City of Rocks/Castle Rocks Info Guide is designed to inform visitors where to camp, park, hike and climb. As you can see from its content, the brochure provides a basic Leave No Trace message about responsible camping practices. It also outlines the history and current ownership of Castles and The City and acknowledges the roles of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, The Conservation Fund, National Park Service, and the Access Fund in purchasing and opening Castles.

Click images (on right) to download PDF files of guide (154 and 122K).

Click here for a list of gyms and retailers where you may obtain a printed version of the Castles/CIRO Guide.

Front Page

Back Page

Access Fund Indian Creek Information Guide

The goal of this effort is to notify visitors of the status of upcoming BLM planning initiatives in the Indian Creek corridor and communicate where to presently camp, park, hike, and climb. The brochure provides a basic Leave No Trace message about responsible camping practices, outlines the history and current ownership of the Dugout Ranch (highlighting The Nature Conservancy's ownership and mission); and acknowledges the roles of the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI), Bureau of Land Management and The Access Fund in protecting this popular area. Black Diamond and Petzl helped make the brochure possible through generous financial contributions.

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Click on images to download pdfs.

Front Page (223K)

Back Page (355K)

Climbing Management: A Guide to Climbing Issues and the Production of a Climbing Management Plan

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Download a pdf version here (4.7MB)

An Annotated Bibliography — Climbing and Natural Resources Management

North Carolina State University and the Access Fund — March 2000. This 60-page publication provides an overview of studies and reports related to climbing and natural resource management. Jointly produced by The Access Fund and North Carolina University (March 2000), it contains over 150 citations including many hard to get documents. Complimentary copies are available to those in resource management and research roles.

Download a pdf version here (470K)

Supplement — Annotated Bibliography

The Access Fund. This supplement to the bibliography covers the period April 2000 to present and is updated every three months. If you know of a study or report that should be included in this bibliography please contact the Access Fund at 303.545.6772.

Download a pdf version here (106K)

Federal and Agency Climbing Management Plans

The Access Fund — February 2001. This document provides a regularly updated list of present and forthcoming agency documents that either address climbing in a specific climbing management plan or incorporate guidance as part of a general or backcountry management plan.

Download a pdf version here (111K)

Risk Management for Climbers

The Access Fund — April 2000. This 8 page document provides an overview of the issues related to risk management for climbing on public lands. The issues are applicable to private individuals climbing for recreational purposes and are not intended to address issues that arise from commercial guiding, organized events, or group activities.

Download a pdf version here (118K)

Project Vertical Vegetation — Joshua Tree National Park

In a unique venture the Access Fund joined forces with the Californian Native Plant Society and Joshua Tree National Park to devise ways to assess climbing impacts on desert plant communities. New survey techniques have been developed and the informal system of trails revised in what we hope will be a long-term project. A report of this work (published 2000) is available from Joshua Tree National Park.

Raptors and Climbers: Guidance for Managing Technical Climbing to Protect Raptor Nest Sites

This publication provides guidelines on how to manage climbing in areas with cliff-nesting raptors. Produced in consultation with biologists and land managers this publication has been widely distributed to public lands managers and climbing organizations. This project is an initiative aimed at raising understanding on climbing management and wildlife protection.

Download a pdf version here (1.35Mb)

Access Fund Member Handbook

The Member Handbook is a complete source of information about access issues, Access Fund programs, letter writing and other advocacy tools, and a primer on ways to get involved at your local crags. Look inside for: Tips on writing political action letters, What to do about climbing access problems, Guidelines about how to climb responsibly.

Download a pdf version here (762K)

Please contact the Access Fund at 303.545.6772 to request publications.