FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2024
Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act Passes U.S. Congress
Wilderness Climbing Will Be Protected by Law for the First Time in US History
Congress has passed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which includes the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act—a critical and timely provision that protects sustainable Wilderness climbing access. Access Fund worked closely with Congressmen Curtis (R-UT) and Neguse (D-CO) to help develop the bipartisan PARC Act. The bill now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.
The PARC Act is a simple and elegant piece of legislation that:
Requires the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to issue national guidance on management of climbing within Wilderness areas;
Clarifies that climbing and the placement, use, and maintenance of fixed anchors (including bolts, pins, and slings) are appropriate, and not prohibited, within Wilderness areas;
Preserves the existing authority of land management agencies to regulate climbing to ensure it protects Wilderness character, natural resources, and cultural values; and
Provides for public participation in decisions affecting climbing in Wilderness areas.
“Sustainable Wilderness climbing is good for our health, rural economies, and the environment, and Access Fund is thrilled that our federal leaders took a concrete step toward protecting it by passing the EXPLORE Act,” says Access Fund Executive Director Heather Thorne. “Exploration of iconic areas like Yosemite and Zion National Parks and Wyoming’s Wind River Range is consistent with both the letter and spirit of The Wilderness Act, and we look forward to the president signing this important legislation to protect that privilege for generations to come.”
The bill provides clear legislative guidance that supersedes proposals from the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) that would have undermined sustainable Wilderness climbing access by classifying fixed anchors as prohibited “installations” by default. The proposed guidance would have prohibited all existing slings, pins, and bolts in Wilderness areas until an intensive bureaucratic process determined whether they should stay in place or be removed. It would have impacted more than 50,000 routes in 28 states, including some of America’s most iconic climbing routes such as The Nose on El Capitan, big walls in Utah’s Zion National Park, adventures in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, historic climbs in Washington’s North Cascades, and many more.
“The Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act is about to become law thanks to a bipartisan group of legislative champions joining together with Access Fund and a coalition of local climbing advocates from around the nation,” says Access Fund Deputy Director Erik Murdock. “Protecting sustainable Wilderness climbing access also protects America’s climbing legacy and the sense of awe that calls us to these amazing places.”
Access Fund applauds Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), the PARC Act’s original sponsors, for their visionary leadership in introducing the bill, and Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Maria Cantewell (D-WA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) for standing up for climbers and moving this legislation forward. Special thanks goes to Senator Manchin for calling for a vote on the EXPLORE Act, including the PARC Act, as one of his final acts of his Senate career.
“Passing this bill in a single legislative session is a testament to the growing power of the climbing advocacy movement,” says Thorne. “In the years to come, I hope our federal leaders continue to work together to protect public lands, the agencies that manage those lands, and sustainable climbing access, which enjoys broad, bipartisan support from legislators and climbers across the nation.”
Learn more about Wilderness climbing at accessfund.org/latest-news/wilderness-climbing-faq.