Comment from Anderson, Laurel
Laurel AndersonSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter, a wilderness lover and climber, supports the recognition of climbing as an appropriate wilderness activity and the allowance of fixed anchors. They request improvements to the policy to expedite anchor replacement, simplify the authorization of new routes, and provide programmatic authorization for specific climbing areas.
As a lifelong wilderness lover and a more recent climber, it is very important to me that regulations balance the safety of climbers with the impacts on the environment and preserving the wilderness character of the lands we love.
I support the recognition that climbing is an appropriate Wilderness activity and that fixed anchors, critical pieces of the climbing safety system, are allowable in Wilderness. I also support provisions to allow climbers to place or replace fixed anchors without authorization in the event of an emergency. I appreciate that the policy protects existing climbing routes that were developed before the PARC Act was passed into law. Legacy Wilderness climbs should remain available in order to preserve America’s rich climbing legacy.
Please improve policies to expedite timely replacement of fixed anchors in order to avoid unnecessary barriers to climber safety. The authorization process for new climbing routes that require fixed anchors should be easier to navigate. Please provide a clear path for programmatic authorization, or preauthorization, at climbing areas that do not necessitate case-by-case special use permits.