Agreement Protects Sustainable and Equitable Access; Conservation
Climbers will soon have a voice in the plans to manage the Red Rock National Conservation Area, thanks to a newly announced settlement agreement between Access Fund, the Southern Nevada Climbers Coalition (SNCC), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The agreement ensures that BLM will consider the full range of potential impacts to the area and recreational uses before making a final management decision. It marks the successful resolution of an administrative appeal Access Fund and SNCC filed in June, 2022.
“This agreement is a win for climbers, conservationists, and anyone who recreates in Calico Basin,” says Access Fund Executive Director Chris Winter. “Sustainable recreation access to places like Calico Basin is good for our health and it’s good for our environment—connecting more people to nature and inspiring them to protect and conserve the lands they love. We’re thrilled to secure this victory for the local community.”
Bouldering in Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas, Nevada. Ancestral lands of Southern Paiute and Western Shoshone. © Al Baker
The settlement mandates a new round of environmental review and ensures another decision point before any fee or reservation system is implemented for Calico Basin. If fees are implemented, it proactively addresses the issue of reservation systems and provides climbers with avenues for collaboration and input. And it secures after-hours access in the event of future fees and reservation requirements, subject to site-specific environmental review.
“When sustainable climbing access is threatened, local climbers are the first and best line of defense,” says Bryan Freisen, president of SNCC. “We’re so excited that local knowledge, national expertise, and a whole lot of persistence came together to secure this win for climbing in southern Nevada.”
SNCC is one of more than 140 local climbing organizations around the country supported by Access Fund through grants, loans, training, advocacy tools, and direct access to staff expertise. These organizations ensure that when there’s a local access or conservation threat, there’s a qualified group of advocates there to help.
“Across the country, rock climbers are a powerful force for conservation and the sport we love,” says Winter. “Whether we’re negotiating with land managers, raising our voices to lawmakers, or simply minimizing our own environmental impacts, climbers have an incredible opportunity to influence the future of climbing and the greater conservation movement.”