In June, 2022, Access Fund and the Southern Nevada Climbers Coalition (SNCC) took legal action to represent climbers interests at Calico Basin based on a draft management plan for the area created by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). On February 9, 2023, Access Fund and SNCC announced a settlement agreement that includes significant victories for sustainable and equitable access and conservation in Calico Basin.
Q: What should climbers know about this agreement?
A: This settlement is a major victory for climbers. It ensures that we will have a strong voice in the final Calico Basin management decision and that BLM will consider the full range of potential impacts to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and recreational uses before making that decision.
Q: What specific wins did Access Fund and SNCC secure?
A: Access Fund and SNCC won three big victories:
A new round of environmental review and another decision point before any fee or reservation system is implemented for Calico Basin. This assessment will look at direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of a fee and reservation system and allow for public comment. Prior to the settlement, BLM asserted it could exclude this decision from further environmental review and shut out the public. The settlement ensures proper environmental review at the implementation stage, public comment, the opportunity to assess impacts on other areas of the conservation area, discuss appropriate mitigation measures, discuss alternatives, and file another administrative appeal..
If BLM decides to implement a fee and reservation system, they have agreed:
There will be no reservation system for the first 6 months after the fee is implemented;
For the next 12 months after that, the reservation system will apply only on weekends and holidays; and,
They meet informally with Access Fund and SNCC every six months to discuss and review how implementation is going. This will allow for collaborative discussions with BLM to share concerns and hopefully adapt the system.
BLM has also agreed that if it decides to implement a fee and reservation system, it will allow after-hours access that is consistent with the RAMP and the restriction on vehicular access to the Red Springs area. Exactly how that will be done is yet to be seen but will likely be worked out through additional site-specific environmental review.
Q: Every settlement includes some compromise. What compromises did Access Fund and SNCC make to get this agreement?
A: This settlement is a big win for climbers that ensures we have a seat at the table when it comes to how Calico Basin is managed. At the same time, this is a settlement that reflects some compromises. Those include:
BLM should have done a proper environmental review the first time. Ideally, BLM would have looked at all the indirect and cumulative impacts when preparing the management plan for Calico Basin. Instead, this analysis will take place at the second, site-specific step of the process. Climbers and BLM disagreed as to when this analysis should take place but the settlement ensures that it will happen and that climbers will have a strong voice in this next step.
The right to determine how to establish after-hours access in the management plan. The settlement does not clarify how after hours access will be provided, nor could it have. But it commits BLM to providing that access and ensures climbers will have a seat at the table to help determine how it will be done.
Q: What should be done to protect Calico Basin for future generations while providing access for climbers?
A: Calico Basin is one of the climbing areas that has seen the greatest increase in visitation in recent years. Climbers cherish the opportunity to experience this incredible place, and yet the sensitive desert environment is at risk. We are facing a unique and difficult challenge in balancing sustainable and equitable access and conservation.
We are guided by a few core principles. First, we believe that public education, active stewardship, adaptive management, and strong partnerships between land managers and community partners produce the best outcomes for the resource and for climbers. Any fees should be minimized and dedicated towards managing the local resources with public transparency. And a reservation system should be a last resort and heightens the risk that access restrictions will have a higher burden on disadvantaged communities as well as local climbers.
As discussed above, BLM has legal authority to use fees and reservation systems as tools to manage visitor use. However, before making that decision, BLM must conduct a comprehensive environmental review and fully engage the public while considering other alternatives.
As BLM further considers whether to implement a fee and reservation system at Calico Basin, SNCC, and Access Fund will be strongly advocating for these principles.