Comment from Zeigler, Matthew

The availability of public lands in the US is something that is a great privilege we have in America, and their are many of us who understand tht it is something that cannot be taken for granted. Those of us who use these lands for recreation are an important user group who contribute to the outdoor industry. Allowing climbers appropriate means to ensure safety is a fundamental need to allow us to recreate responsibility. I urge you to enact the policies recommended below. 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.